A Biscuit Christmas: Introducing the Artist Behind Our 2025 Festive Windows

This year’s Christmas at Biscuit has been brought to life by the incredibly talented Susanna Sergison, a final-year Painting student at Edinburgh College of Art whose incredible designs now adorn our shop windows, Christmas tissue paper, stickers and postcards.

When we opened a brief to 3rd and 4th year ECA students to design our festive imagery, Susie’s work immediately stood out for its warmth and distinctive charm. We invited her to share more about her background, creative process and personal Christmas traditions. Her responses offer a wonderful insight into the artist behind this year’s joyful visuals. Christmas Christmas Christmas Christmas Christmas Christmas

Susie is a 21-year-old fine art student from the North West of England, currently completing her final year of BA Painting at Edinburgh College of Art. Although painting — particularly oil portraiture — has always been at the heart of her practice, her time at ECA has encouraged her to explore creatively across other mediums.

“In the last couple of years at art school, I’ve become a lot more experimental with sculpture and have developed more of an intermedia practice,” she explains. Her work is deeply rooted in personal identity, forming what she describes as “a physical embodiment of what’s occurring inside my mind.”

Often humorous, sometimes unusual and occasionally conflicting, her practice uses art as a form of contemporary social commentary.

When choosing where to study, she recalls initially imagining life in London, before discovering that Edinburgh offered something that felt more grounded and welcoming:

“I found the warmth and friendliness of Edinburgh was a perfect middle ground for my northern soul.”

Susie approached the brief with enthusiasm but little expectation. Coming from a predominantly conceptual fine art background, she did not initially see herself as a frontrunner for a commercial illustration project.

“I was absolutely thrilled to be given the opportunity,” she says. “Because my skillset was more focused on conceptual fine art and I hadn’t had as much experience with commercial illustration as other creatives, I was extremely surprised to be chosen.”

What followed was an unexpectedly fulfilling experience:

“I had no idea actually how much I would enjoy the whole process. From digitally designing, to the physical painting, as well as the travelling and meeting of new people — every step of the way was a pleasure.” Christmas Christmas Christmas Christmas Christmas

Susie began by grounding herself in Biscuit’s existing branding and visual world, which she describes as “strong and integral” to shaping her approach.

She immersed herself in visual research, looking at classic UK biscuits, ribbons and festive decorative motifs, online advertisements and imagery, as well as memories from her own childhood Christmases.

“Everything seemed to tie together seamlessly,” she explains. Working through sketches and refinements, the ideas gradually gained life and character,  “Modifying initial sketches to develop polished designs, gradually, I think the simple objects I was looking at began to come to life.”

This sense of familiarity and charm is evident in the final illustrations — they feel both nostalgic and freshly imagined.

Remarkably, this was Susie's first experience painting on glass. Undeterred, she experimented at home before beginning work on the shop windows.

“I had ordered a variety of POSCA pens from Cass Art and was testing them on the windows in my flat,” she says. She was surprised by the fluidity of the process:

“I was actually surprised at how satisfying it is to watch the pen glide along the glass.”

One element in particular became her favourite to work on:

“Definitely my favourite aspect to draw was the ribbon — the fluidity and elegance of the lines was just beautiful.”

This translates beautifully in person; the ribbon motifs add a sense of romance and festive energy to the windows.

While painting remains central to her work, Susie sees her long-term creative path expanding toward Creative Direction.

“As a forthcoming and confident person, I love communicating with people, sharing my thoughts conceptually and working reactively,” she says.

She isn’t entirely certain about the exact steps ahead, but she has a strong sense of the direction she wishes to move in:

“I’m not too sure what the road to this destination will look like, but I’m excited for the journey. Creative marketing, visual advertising and concept development are looking like maybe the first stop of the ride.”

We're sure her combination of artistic sensibility and clear creative vision means she has a bright future!

For Susie, Christmas is about atmosphere — a collective shift that brings with it warmth, nostalgia and togetherness.

“I think I most enjoy the atmosphere of Christmas. Rosy cheeks, infectious laughs and warm lights.”

She appreciates that the season holds different meanings for different people, yet creates a shared sense of generosity and sentimentality.

And like many of us, she cherishes the ritual of an advent calendar:

“Personally, I love to open up my classic Cadbury advent calendar every morning — nothing beats that little bite of chocolate with my cornflakes and tea.”

The answer is an enthusiastic yes.

“I adore gift giving,” she writes. She loves spending time thinking about the people closest to her and choosing something that feels thoughtful and meaningful.

“It sounds silly, but it really gives my brain something wholesome to focus on — a sort of happy stress!”

It's no surprise that someone with such a keen eye for detail enjoys the challenge of finding the perfect present.

For Susie and her older sister, Christmas traditions are rooted in the small rituals of home — including the annual excitement over festive television specials.

“It’s not every year we’re blessed with one that we are completely eager for, but when it does happen, it’s the main event!”

In their household, the Gavin and Stacey Christmas specials have been highly anticipated in the past, and last year, the new Wallace and Gromit episode was “a dramatic affair.”

These cosy, familiar rituals clearly form an important part of her December.

Working with Susie on this year’s Christmas project has been a delight. Her creativity, generosity and thoughtful approach have brought a fresh sense of magic to Biscuit’s festive season.

We are incredibly proud to showcase her work across our windows and packaging, and we look forward to seeing where her artistic journey takes her next.

You can follow Susie’s work on Instagram at @bysusannasergison.

Here’s to creativity, community and a wonderfully festive Christmas at Biscuit. And of course, Have Yourself a...Merry Little Biscuit!