Relevant Education    

1990 BA Honours Degree in Industrial Design (Woven Textiles) Scottish College of Textiles (Herriot Watt) 1986-1990

2006 SVQ Level 4 Health and Social Care 

2018 Seeing Deeply through The Mindfulness Association 

2022 Sustaining Craft Business University of Highlands and Islands

Relevant Work Experience

2016-present Textile Artist, Designer and Maker; sole trader making to my own designs and to commission.

1996-present Project/Outreach Worker/Co-ordinator with Change Mental Health to support people living with the experience of mental health issues towards recovery    

1994/1995  Artisan Rug Maker with Dilana Rugs, New Zealand 

1990/1991 Textile Designer Reid and Taylor (high quality menswear fabrics) Langholm, Scotland

1980/1986 Various livestock farming and rural experience 

Solo and Group Exhibitions

11/2024   Group ‘Wallnuts’ Harbour Cottage Gallery, Kirkcudbright

08/2024   Group Kirkcudbright Arts andCrafts Trail, WASPS, Kirkcudbright

07/2024   Group ‘Eight’ The Borgue Collective/Harbour Cottage Gallery, Kbt. 

05/2024   Group ‘Spring Fling’ Open Studios Event/Upland CIC, WASPS, Kbt. 

04/2024   Group ‘WASPS Spring Show’ Harbour Cottage Gallery, Kirkcudbright

04/2024    Solo ‘Hidden Line’ Granton Station/WASPS, Edinburgh

12/2023   Group WASPS Winter Market, The Briggait, Glasgow

11/2023   Group ‘Regeneration’ Wallnuts/Harbour Cottage Gallery, Kirkcudbright

07/2023   Group ‘Recent Works’ Borgue Collective/Harbour Cottage Gallery, Kbt. 

05/2023   Group ‘Spring Fling’ Open Studios Event/Upland CIC, WASPS, Kbt. 

03/2023   Group ‘WASPS x Kirkcudbright Galleries’ Kirkcudbright Galleries, Kbt. 

12/2022   Group ‘7 of 7’ Borgue Collective/Castle Douglas Art Gallery

12/2022   Group WASPS Winter Market, The Briggait, Glasgow

11/2022   Group Upland Made, Easterbrook Hall, Dumfries

11/2022   Group ‘Rewilding’ Wallnuts/Harbour Cottage Gallery, Kirkcudbright

09/2022   Group ‘Craft House’ The Briggait, Glasgow

07/2022   Group ‘Ebb & Flow’ The Borgue Collective/Harbour Cottage Gallery 

06/2022   Group ‘Second Nature’ WASPS & Marchmont Creative Spaces/Patriothall 

06/2022   Group ‘Spring Fling’ Open Studios Event/Upland CIC, WASPS, Kbt. 

05/2022   Group ‘Spring Fling at 20yrs’ Gracefield Arts Centre/upland CIC, Dumfries

12/2021   Group WASPS Winter Market, The Briggait, Glasgow

09/2021    Group ‘Out On Their Own Together’ The Borgue Collective/Harbour Cottage Gallery, Kirkcudbright 

08/2021     Solo ‘Open Studios’ Marchmont Creative Spaces/Fogo Cottage, Borders

08/2021    Group ‘CLOTH#21’  Curated Textile Event/The Dovecot, Edinburgh

07/2021    Group ‘WASPS ‘10 Years On’ Kirkcudbright Galleries/WASPS, Kbt.

07/2021    Group ‘Corfield Derby Hamilton Lochhead’ Harbour Cottage Gallery/Kbt. 

06/2021    Group ‘Spring Fling Pop Up Event’ Mill on the Fleet/Upland CIC, G of Fleet

11/2020    Group ‘Wallnuts’ Harbour Cottage Gallery, Kirkcudbright  

09/2020    Group ‘Corfield Derby Hamilton Lochhead’ Harbour Cottage Gallery, Kbt. 

09/2020    Group ‘Spring Fling Open Studio Event Rescheduled’ Upland CIC online 

08/2020    Group ‘Spring Fling Postcard for D&G event’ Upland CIC online 

09/2019    Group ‘Under Galloway Skies’ Borgue Collective/Castle Douglas Gallery

08/2019    Group ‘Kirkcudbright Arts and Crafts Trail’ Venue 32 in Cochran Hall

10/2018    Group ‘Into the Light’ The Borgue Collective/Kbt Harbour Cottage Gallery

05/2018    Group ‘Spring Fling Open Studio Event’ Upland CIC/Home Studio Setting

04/2018    Group “Place” Ottersburn Gallery/Upland CIC,Dumfries

Awards
12/2022 Inches Carr Bursary; Emerging Maker 2022

For advancement in the field of contemporary craft, innovative investigation of processes and materials and exploration of aspects of developing a sustainable practice

09/2021 Galloway and Southern Ayrshire Biosphere Certification Mark 

Awarded in recognition of high-quality standards in delivering environmental and sustainable development benefits to the Galloway and Southern Ayrshire UNESCO Biosphere and for producing works of art in promotion of our local natural heritage made of materials of provenance. 

Residencies

02/2023 WASPS Artists Residency, Admirals Cottage, Skye

08/2021 Marchmont Creative Spaces and WASPS collaboration residency in Rory McEwan’s Studio Cottage Fogo, Duns

Commissions/Collections

04/2024 ‘Bee’ tufted 4 leg local hardwood stool Elizabeth Rowland, Wiltshire

03/2024 ‘Flow’ 2 tufted Italian ash music stools for Anne Chaurand, Dalry

09/2023 ‘Forest Moss’ tufted and dyed ash stool for Alison Bowley, Wigtown

8/2023 ‘Peatland Fauna’ oval wall hanging, Joan Mitchell Chair of GSAB 

6/2023 ‘Pierra Menta’’ 1.75mtr square rug, Susan Evans, Bromley

03/2022 ‘Lily’ 1.75cm diameter round rug, Margaret Kennedy, Glasgow

12/2022 ‘Border’ 3mtrx2.3mtr large dining room rug, Lucy Holbrook, Wirral  

7/2022 ‘Susan’ three curve leg larch stool, Susan Edwards, Kirkcudbright 

05/2022 ‘Pomegranate’ large footstool/table, Frances Hlanze,Castle Douglas

09/2021 ‘ToadStools' 2 upholstered larch stools Deirdre Horyshed, Borders 

06/2021 ‘Northern Lights’ Green Wood Stool Pam Scott, Peak District

05/2021 ‘Jacaranda’ 3mtr Hall Runner, Angela Hiddleston, Kirkcudbright 

10/2020 ‘Dragonfly’ Hall Runner and round mat Gill Lindsay, Kirkcudbright 

02/2020 ‘Sea Foam’   intended for Island Arts ‘The North Sea’ Belfast

10/2019 ‘Dhoon’ 3mtr Hall Runner, Mr & Mrs Johnston, Kirkcudbright

08/2018 ‘Thistle’ Hearth Rug, Halina McLachlan, Barassie 

06/2018 ‘Stag’    Hearth Rug, Mr & Mrs Shepherd, Kirkcudbright 

03/2018 ‘Sax’     Wall Hanging, Mr & Mrs McLachlan, Kirkcudbright 

09/2017 ‘Rose’    Wall Hanging, Mr Coupe, Kirkcudbright and Glasgow  

06/2017 ‘Trees’   Hearth Rug, Morag and Neil McLachlan, Kirkcudbright 

04/2017 ‘Belties’ Wall Hanging, Lindsay and Jonny Kently, Pumpherston

04/2016 ‘Leaves’ Floor Center piece, Gill Lindsay, Kirkcudbright 

Talks and Workshops

11/2024    Talk/ demo/ taster Textile and Embroidery Group Dumfries

11/2023 Workshop Tufting Taster for 2 people

05/2023    Talk/ demo/ taster Castle Douglas Embroidery Group

06/2023 Workshop Tailored Stool Top Tufting for 2 people

04/2023 Workshop Tailored Stool Top Tufting for 2 people

03/2023 Workshop Tufted Wall hanging for 3 people

02/2023    Talk/ demo/ taster Borders Textile Group, Foulden

11/2022       Talk/ demo/ taster MAD Festival of Creativity, show/talk, Whithorn

10/2022       Tufting Workshop Glasgow School of Art Embroidery Department

Press and Publications

https://www.waspsstudios.org.uk/2022/05/13/perspectives-podcast-ep-4-laura-derby-rugaura/

05/2021    Dumfries and Galloway Life Magazine Feature

https://amandajanetextiles.com/2018/06/11/laura-derby-rugmaker/

Stockists

Buy Design Gallery, near Jedburgh, stockist of Scottish hardwood and textiles

Kirkcudbright Galleries, National Gallery, Kirkcudbright

Memberships and Affiliations

2018 Upland CIC, Full Member

2020 Craft Scotland, Full member

2019 Applied Art Scotland,  Full Member

2020 Visual Art Scotland, Ordinary Member

2021 Heritage Crafts

2022 CraftHub EU

2022 DAGFAS

2018 Scottish Artists Union