Artist Statement
From a young age I have very clear memories of expeditions out to hills and more remote locations in the Trossachs, as well as trips to the islands of the
Outer and Inner Hebrides. Raised in Stirling, my family roots go back to a farming background in the North East and I have always felt very much at home in the natural environment.
The natural world and landscape have been long running themes in my work ; the representation of the inner world is as important as the outer landscape. I am a practising Buddhist and I often use symbolic imagery to represent the importance of the sacred, spiritual belief, myth and the mysteries of existence.
I trained at Glasgow School of Art in the early 1980s, under the influence of well-known artists Jack Knox, James Robertson and Alexander Moffat - it was an exciting time of figurative experimentation. The influences of peers and established artists produced a solid grounding to explore the boundaries of painting, beyond the purely representational to explore an imaginary and emotionally authentic response, more in keeping with myths and story telling.
After living in Glasgow for many years renting a studio from WASPS and working at Glasgow Print Studio I made the decision to move from the city, following a longing to live by the sea in a place much more remote. In 1994 I moved to the remote Shetland Islands, which proved an exciting opportunity to experience a completely different aspect of life. I lived in the Shetland Isles for 10 years where I found inspiration living so close to nature, watching weather change from my studio window in our house on a promontory of land, surrounded by sea on both sides. Living there, experiencing the elements first hand deeply connected me to the land and light of the north. Being surrounded by the strange changeable luminous light and the vast extremes of weather that exist from summer to winter became a new focus for my work.
Living in this beautiful remote spot as a mother with a young child was not so romantic after awhile and it was necessary I thought to be closer to civilization so a move was agreed to Lerwick and not long after my husband was offered a new job in Argyll so we decided to move back to the mainland.
I exhibit my work regulary throughout the UK and have work held in public collections and numerous private collections throughout UK and Europe. I have won several awards for my work most notably in 1992; First Prize (of £5000) for the John Laing Landscape Painting Award with which I travelled to China, then Runner Up and Scottish Prize the following year, in 1997 I won The Ruth Davidson Memorial Scholarship to work in S. France for 3 months, then in 2001 SAC Assistance Grant to make a new body of silk-screens and monotypes for solo show at Glasgow Print Studio.
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