Tucked inside the turret of Virgin Hotels, within the historic India Buildings, sits Edinburgh-based artist Jennifer Court. A self-taught illustrator, Jennifer has become known for her meticulous pen-and-ink renderings of the city’s most iconic buildings and sweeping cityscapes. 

We were delighted to be invited by Stripe Communications, Virgin Hotels, and Jennifer herself to the unveiling of her latest project: an extraordinary 1.2-metre panoramic drawing of the Edinburgh skyline, captured from the very turret where she works. Jennifer’s studio, known as the Unicorn Room, sits within the India Buildings—an impressive example of Scottish Baronial architecture that once housed Trading Offices. The view from the turret is extraordinary, and so is Jennifer’s artwork. 

Jennifer’s journey resonated deeply with us, particularly in light of our most recent issue of The Creator Magazine, ‘RIOT!’, which celebrates artists who disrupt expectations and forge their own paths. Her story exemplifies this spirit of creative defiance: proof that success in art does not require formal training. Talent, dedication, and a fiercely individual vision can be just as powerful.

What is your experience as a self-made artist?

I didn’t get into art college when I left high school. I was pretty devastated at the time, so I decided to do history of art instead. I really stopped drawing for ages, but I also had that interest in art, so I specialised in the Gothic and medieval, so I’ve always had that interest in old buildings. I started drawing again in my spare time when I was in my mid-20s, and I was in a job that I really hated.

It was then that I started getting small commissions through friends and family, and I started doing a market here or there. It grew slowly over the last nine years. It was about four years ago that I went full-time. It’s been a really slow process.

Did social media have a play in that at all?

It was a bit of both [social media and word of mouth]. Over COVID, my social media blew up quite a bit. I did a lot of drawing challenges, so someone would post a picture online, and everyone in the arts community on Instagram would draw their own version of it, and it was a really great way to engage. I grew my social media quite a lot over that time, but I would say a lot of it was word of mouth as well. I would chat quite a lot to the people at the markets I was doing, and it would be like, “Do you want to draw my house?”, and then that would pass on to friends, and that is how it grew as well. 

What is your main artistic inspiration?

I would say I am really inspired by the history, so I love old, interesting buildings and obviously, places like Edinburgh are absolutely amazing. I really like learning about the history alongside doing the drawings. For instance, I did a series about the closes on the Royal Mile. I’ve drawn about ten or fifteen of them now, and yeah, just also learning about who lived there over the years and just how it was created. I think that’s a big inspiration for me. 

That’s a big interest for me. 

Why did you choose Edinburgh? What is your relationship with the city?

I’m from Penicuik, so nearby. I grew up here, but I don’t think I took as much of an interest in it when I was younger. I used to travel in on the bus every weekend and all that stuff. When I moved back, I used to live in London, and when I moved back, I started drawing more in my spare time. The first big drawing I did was of St Giles [Cathedral]. I think really from there I started drawing more of the old buildings, and it coincided with learning more about the history, and they’ve grown together really. 

When I got the residency here [Virgin Hotels], I went to the library and did a lot of research about the Old Town specifically, and this building [India Buildings]. There is so much medieval history.

What is it like to work in the Unicorn Room, and up in the turret?

It is obviously very inspiring: getting lots of photos from the balcony and being able to work from right up against the wall in this very inspiring room. It’s very rustic, as you can see, but that adds to the general amazingness of this room.

What have you enjoyed most in your residency here and what draws you to this building [India Buildings]?

I think meeting a lot of the guests here has been really fun. There are a lot of Americans who really love Edinburgh and are so enthusiastic and genuinely love the city; it is really nice to see. There is a wee sign at reception that says if I am in the building and they can come up and have a look around. A lot of them have said that actually coming into this room [the turret] has been the highlight of their holiday, which is amazing because I think it is such an inspirational part of the city. 

This building, I’ve drawn it several times, so I did some work for the hotel before it opened. When I have been in the residency, I have done a couple more drawings of the main door, the red door, and then the Commons Club, which is their restaurant. I just think there are so many interesting details on the facade of the building that I really love drawing.

Do you have any inspiring words of encouragement for any young artists?

You don’t need to go to art college. I obviously didn’t get in at the time, and I felt like that was the end for me, but it has come round naturally. I think if I had gone to art college, then what I would be doing now would be completely different from what I do. Do things your own way. I learnt a lot about perspective from YouTube and books. 

Jennifer has been Virgin Hotels’ Artist in Residence since August. Check out her artwork, including the featured panoramic view, until the end of December. She regularly posts her artwork on her Instagram, @jennifercourt_art

Thank you to both Stripe Communications and Virgin Hotels.

@stripecom

@virginhotelsedi

Welcome to the eighth edition of The Creator! This edition has found our team in a state of redefinition and renewed passion, which has been endlessly inspiring to explore through this edition’s theme, RIOT! As always, thank you so much for taking the time to peruse the beautiful works included from a variety of exceedingly talented Edinburgh creatives. 

This collection owes its existence to a long history of dedicated activists and artists, spotlighted in Hannah Sylvester’s ‘She-Wolf’, Eilean Lough-Pare’s ‘My Body is a Battleground’, and Ines Roan Reid’s ‘We Are Entwined With Others’. The Creator has found its footing through questions of identity, community, and connection; in RIOT!, this ethos is turned outward to view the political turbulence this edition has come together within (see Vesper’s ‘FIRE IN THE UNITED STATES CIRCUS RING’). The array of works included are imbued with tension, anxiety, and the uncertainty of coming-of-age in the modern era, yet all draw attention to the hope of a better tomorrow (as seen in Melody Ding’s ‘On New Year’s Celebrations’). 

We would like to extend our gratitude to our contributors who have generously shared their prose, poetry, art, photography, and reflections with us. The continuation of this magazine would not be possible without you, and it is an immense privilege to now share your art with our readers. 

If we have one wish, it is that RIOT! encourages you to see the world with renewed hope and a deep understanding of each individual’s importance in collective action. What will you take forward with you from this edition into your own political consciousness? Which of the following pieces will best reflect your passion, your values, your fears, and your hopes?

With all our love, 

Meg Leaver and Kristy Galbraith

Presidents and Editors

Dear Readers,

Welcome to the fifth edition of The Creator Magazine, which explores the theme of Reflection! As always, thank you so much for taking the time to enter into this space and peruse the beautiful work submitted here by students from The University of Edinburgh and beyond. The quality of the pieces published in this edition is outstanding- ranging from artworks that quietly reflect the everyday beauty of the people we love (see Ysobel Gouriet’s ‘Figures in thought’ series) to poetry on the slippery meaning of masculinity and pub culture (as explored in R. W. Thorne’s ‘The Men in My Pub’). It is an honour to be able to read and publish the work of these young creatives, and I am so grateful for your ongoing support- we couldn’t do it without you!

As the first edition of 2024- an edition being published in the budding, watery light of an approaching spring- the theme of reflection seems more than fitting. Its plethora of potential meanings, as outlined by the pieces in this edition, include nostalgic reflection, the glimpse of yourself in a passing mirror or a muddied pool and the ways in which you are reflected by the behaviours of the people you love (and the people you don’t). As Sophie and I discuss in our Editors’ interview, reflection is a powerful tool, and one that is central to our experience of founding and developing ‘The Creator’ as both a Magazine and, since December 2023, a University Society. Now more than ever, I find myself reflecting on October 2022… on the strange, panicked girl I was then, and on the beautiful creation that emerged as a result- this magazine, thanks to the tireless work and commitment of the wonderful Editorial and Design team and our own belief in this publication’s potential. I am so proud of what we have created, and of the voices we have been able to spotlight thanks to the support of you wonderful readers. 

I encourage you to toy with the notion of reflection- of the boundary between remembering and idolising, of remaining trapped in the shadowy echelons of your past or of rejecting and stifling it all together. What does it mean to ‘reflect’? How useful- or how damaging- is the act of reflection? And, most importantly, how can you create a version of yourself- in this slippery new terrain of adulthood- that you can be proud of? That reflects your values, fears and hopes? This edition is dedicated to that constantly evolving version of you- and all the reflections of yourself that you see embedded in the social and familial fabric of our lives. 

Happy reflecting!

All my love,

Molly Reed (she/her), (Founder & Poetry Editor)