I moved to Glasgow in search of adventure and a new beginning. I fell in love with its architecture; the sandstone tenement flats and its post-industrial warehouse buildings. The wide streets, open spaces and its proximity to wild mountainous landscape also appealed greatly to me. I was excited by the idea of becoming part of its artistic community, learning about the city’s culture and exploring its galleries, museums and music venues.
Financially it was always hard in London. I found ways to maintain my art practice by juggling various part-time jobs and freelance work. Being an artist and making time to paint was the priority, and I lived on the bare minimum to protect my studio time. Income from jobs would cover food, studio costs and rent for the houseshares I lived in. Occasionally an art sale would provide a welcome boost. Over the years it became increasingly difficult because the cost of rent was rising steadily faster than income. In 2010 when I became a single parent it became even more of a challenge. In 2013, when my son was three, I met the lovely man who would become my husband. We married and had our daughter in 2016. The monthly rent on our small flat in Harringay was consuming most of our income and we wondered whether we were still making the most of the wonderful things that London has to offer.
After living in London for 19 years, we left in 2017 because it was becoming financially unsustainable. Glasgow offered an opportunity to be in a vibrant city where living costs were lower, the rent being considerably less for both housing and studio spaces. I hoped that moving away from the pressurized and stressful financial situation in London would give me more space and time for my art practice. We considered other places too. I liked the idea of moving down to the Kent coast because close friends and many artists I knew had already left London and settled in Margate and Ramsgate, but for me those places didn’t have the same appeal as Glasgow. We would need to commute to London for work, which seemed impossible with young children, and there was something romantic about Glasgow. The politics of Scotland appealed to me, as did the colder climate, and Glasgow’s fascinating history and notoriously friendly people, we also knew we wanted to be in a city.
I was very sad to leave London. I miss the people, the diversity, the palpable creative energy and the multitude of grassroots galleries and exhibitions. I really miss being able to visit the big exhibitions, galleries and museums. After graduating I embraced everything that London has to offer. I spent my twenties going to exhibition openings, gigs and clubs nearly every night and by my thirties I felt connected to and very much part of a supportive and inclusive artistic community. I met so many wonderfully brilliant, brave and talented creative people – curators, artists, gallerists and musicians.
I love Glasgow, and although I miss some things about London, I have no regrets. I feel a security here that I never felt in London. I have a bigger studio space for half the cost, and I feel more focused. I love that our new city is surrounded by beautiful landscape and mountains, it’s liberating. Edinburgh being so close is a bonus, its multiple galleries and art spaces are only a 45-minute train journey away, I recently completed a year long painting course at Leith School of Art and I am currently part of their fantastic mentoring programme. Initially the move was challenging, I had to take on a full-time job and my painting time was restricted, it felt like a big sacrifice. I had no studio space at first, but I continued to paint and draw in the evenings at the kitchen table. I was sad and frustrated, but I focused on my amazing family and together we adjusted to our new environment and actively explored everything that Glasgow has to offer.
The full-time job had other benefits – for the first time in my life I was eligible for a mortgage. We bought a flat and this brought some welcome financial stability. Once we were settled, I was able to drop down to a three-day week and I took on a studio space at Crownpoint studios in the East End. I began to find a rhythm again with my work. Then in 2020 the pandemic happened, which is another story! But now, five years later, I do feel part of an artistic community. I was granted some funding from Creative Scotland and Glasgow City Council to put on a solo exhibition recently. The opening night was a lovely celebration of the network of artists, friends and colleagues I have connected with during my time here. Before we arrived in Glasgow, I had this idea that I would do the same thing I had done in my twenties and run around a city going to every private view and art exhibition I could find. But, of course, it wasn’t like that! I’m in my forties with two young children and it’s just not possible to do that. Meeting other artists and becoming part of a community has instead been a slow and gradual process, connections have evolved in other ways.
Glasgow is obviously much smaller than London and everything operates at a less frenetic pace, the lower living costs make it a little easier to sustain an artistic practice. The city is supportive of artists, there are lots of opportunities and many artist-led galleries and project spaces, for example Saltspace Cooperative, Glasgow Project Room, Mount Florida Gallery and Studios, David Dale Gallery and Transmission Galllery. I was delighted to discover the incredible Glasgow Print Studios (which is the best printmaking facility I think I have ever seen!), and the brilliant Sculpture Placement Group. There are some bigger contemporary galleries, The Modern Institute and the council-led Tramway and Goma, there are museums with fascinating collections such as The Burrell Collection and Kelvingrove. The big old warehouse buildings definitely are filled with artists and there are many studio providers including Wasps Artists’ Studios. Glasgow is a different experience to London, but I love both cities equally and it’s perfect for me right now.
Tinsel Edwards lives and works in Glasgow. Born in the Midlands in 1979, she completed her Fine Art BA at Goldsmiths College London in 2001. Tinsel lived in London until she moved to Glasgow in 2017. Painting is her biggest love and at the core of her art practice, but since graduating she has also been a singer in The Fairies Band, co-founded A-side B-side Gallery and Studios in Hackney and written a book called ‘Priced Out’. Banksy is a collector and invited Tinsel to create artwork for Dismaland in Weston-super-Mare in 2015.
This work has a