Blog Post

Watson's Windows

Anna Hall and Kate Downes • 6 November 2020

See anything you like...? Find out what makes our windows so special

For an art gallery, windows are an important bridge to the rest of the world... especially in a busy city with the world passing by. You might not regularly head out into the streets of Edinburgh thinking of how much you'd love to see some art on the way to the pharmacy or or post office — but a great artwork can make any day better.

And when you can see the artwork right there in a window, the street becomes its own outdoor gallery, available to everybody day or night.

Situated on a corner at a busy intersection, Watson is in a very special position when it comes to our windows. Hundreds of people pass us by every day: driving down Queen street, walking to work, or heading to the city centre. That one minute waiting at the red light or pedestrian crossing can turn into the perfect moment to soak up some art!

Our window displays change every week, not just to showcase our new arrivals, but to provide some fantastic art for all passersby. We have so many visitors who tell us that our windows are the highlight of their daily commute!

We have also had many visitors coming in to ask about artworks that they spotted in our windows, sometimes a few weeks before they manage to come in. “I saw it as I passed by and I couldn’t stop thinking about it…”

We’ve also had people who spotted an artwork while at the traffic lights, and then pull over at the next opportunity to call us immediately!

The problem with spying something as you pass by, of course, that if you wait too long, the artwork might be gone! Especially if it’s been in the windows where anyone can spot it…

To help solve this problem (and to help those who are trying to remember which exact artwork they saw in our ever-changing windows!) we’re launching a new feature on our website and social media, called Watson Windows.

Every week, we’ll be archiving our window displays with the names of the artists, so you can find that special artwork that caught your eye... and we'd love it if you gave us a call to find out more!

Keep up with the Windowspage on our website or follow the hashtag #watsonwindows on our social media platforms ( instagram , twitter and facebook ) to see what’s been featured recently!

by Kate Downes 8 November 2024
Each work has its own narrative, in which Jane highlights the details and themes of the piece. In 'Masters of Skullduggery,' Jane reimagines the infamous Burke and Hare as two hares surrounded by skulls and corpse lights as evidence of their misdeeds… “Oh, these two are really bad boys… William Hare and William Burke, show committed a series of murders in 1828. They sold the corpses to Dr. Robert Knox for dissection in his lectures in anatomy. To make things more nefarious, when captured Hare turned King’s evidence against Burke and Burke was hanged. His body was donated to the anatomy class; it can still be seen today. Hare disappeared. A fitting story for dark Scottish nights…”
by Kate Downes 6 April 2024
A look back at some of our favourite artwork installations from Watson clients' homes, and our take on what made the artworks work so well in each space...
by Kate Downes 10 January 2024
When the time comes to say goodbye to a precious artwork, whether to bring something new into your collection or to free up some cash, it’s important to find the right sales option. With so many art collectors now looking for their next piece online, EzelDotz’s web-based sales platform allows artworks to be discovered by collectors seeking works by their favourite collectable artists. EzelDotz also has a database of over 15,000 collectors to whom they will market new works, or help in their search for a particular artist’s work. They have recently been working on a brand new sales platform and will be relaunching soon! Watson has been working with EzelDotz for a number of years as a resale partner (previously under the name 'Sell My Artworks'.) We have even had the opportunity to display artworks owned by local Edinburgh clients at the gallery, by request of our own collectors. If you are looking to move on any works in your own art collection, visit EzelDotz to see how they can assist you as their new sales platform gets underway.
by Kate Downes 30 October 2023
Kirsten Mirrey's first solo show had some incredible results...!
by Kate Downes 30 August 2023
Enjoy a video tour of the gallery with art director Bob Corsie
by Kate Downes 10 July 2023
Local street artist Sleek’s Edinburgh workspace is located in the Queen Street Art Studio below Watson Gallery, and we enjoyed co-hosting his live painting demonstration… in keeping with his street art roots, he decided to work outside!
by Kate Downes 1 May 2023
All of our guests had a fantastic time listening to David’s stories, behind-the-scenes adventures, and insights into his craft. We also had the opportunity to present a number of exclusive editions, which had been curated around the theme of David’s ‘Homecoming’ to Scotland. The series included three of David's rare and remarkable Scottish pieces, in a special smaller-scaled AP format. While these are not available for general release, if you would like to learn more about them you can contact the Watson Gallery team directly .
by Kate Downes 18 October 2022
New artists and new collections for the changing season...
by Kate Downes 7 March 2022
David's fluid, spontaneous style, used to capture the energy and spaces of the cities that inspire him, has been described as “sketching in paint”
by Kate Downes 17 January 2022
Over the past two years, many businesses have learned to adapt to new ways of interacting with clients and customers, and Watson is no exception; during the UK’s various lockdowns, we were forced to rethink the experiences our art collectors would have when looking for their next painting or sculpture. We did find some interesting ways to increase our local accessibility, such as offering pavement-viewings of artworks through our windows – you can read more about that in a previous blog post. However, we also wanted to make sure our artworks were available for online purchase, and adding a “ready to buy” option on our website was key for us during the time we spent with the gallery door closed. We added additional information about each artwork, including an "in-situ" viewing room for each piece so a buyer could imagine the artwork in their home...
More posts
Share by: