Liz Douglas

Artist Biography

Liz Douglas is an artist working in the Scottish Borders. She was born and brought up in Angus. She studied drawing at Edinburgh College of Art, completing her postgraduate Masters of Fine Art, Painting in 1993.

Statement

My painting is influenced by specific landscapes. The ‘macro and micro’ and ‘visible and invisible’ are elements that fascinate me, which I incorporate into my work.

I continually try to find ways to express elements of the landscape that reveal something else that is elusive and intriguing, difficult to quantify, with a poetic, musical resonance.

Drawing is an important part of the process – a looking at the landscape, engaging with it in all weathers.

I have a long connection with landscape – it is part of myself and something that I try to connect with through my working processes.

In my research work I reference ancient themes, contemporary issues, northern European and Eastern painting traditions, in the exploration of my subject matter.

I am particularly interested in the relationship between the natural world and the human world and the importance of wild natural spaces that exist in Scotland and a need to connect to these through walking the landscape. The writer Nan Shepherd, in “The Living Mountain”, and in her poetry, has been an important influence.

In this new series of work I am revisiting Nan Shepherd’s ‘The Living Mountain’ in relation to pools, pockets, and edges within the landscapes of Ullapool, the Flow Country and the Borders.

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March 2018

Selected Exhibitions

Exhibitions

2018 SSA/VAS Annual Exhibition

2017 Mire: Pools and Pockets, And Gallery, Edinburgh

Edinburgh Art Fair, And Gallery, Edinburgh

Connections – mixed exhibition – And Gallery, Edinburgh

‘Intranquility’ Tweeddale Museum, Peebles – curated SSA project

Outlook, mixed exhibition - & Gallery, Edinburgh

‘Intranquility’ Dunfermline Fire Creative – curated SSA project

2016 ‘Intranquility’ An Talla Solais, Ullapool – group curated SSA exhibition

‘Intranquility’ SSA Annual Exhibition

Wasps Artist’s Studios Open Studios Exhibition

2015 The Debateable Landscape – Hawick Museum

Empire: SSA curated exhibition – Old Rope Works, Montrose – invited artist

The Steading Exhibition, Morebattle Mains, Kelso

& Collective, Bridge of Allan

SSA

2014 SSA

Creative Place commission - Eastgate Theatre, Peebles

2013 Sofia International Paper Art Biennial

RSW; RSA; SSA

2012 ‘Hidden Stories’ – reconstructed studio from Heriot Watt University -Dovecot Studios, Edinburgh

2011 ‘Mire’ Harestanes, Ancrum, Jedburgh

‘Way’ – Art installations, Over Phawhope Bothy, Ettrick

SSA

2010 ‘Seeds of Time’ solo exhibition, Tweeddale Museum, Peebles

2009-10 SSA/the Shape of Things/Harestanes; Seeds of time,Tweeddale Gallery, Peebles

2008 Interface – The Meffan, Forfar/Abroath/Montrose

2006 Seeds of Time 2, Peebles Museum

2005 Willowlines – new work from Ettrick Haughland

2004 Collyer Bristow Gallery, London

Wasps, Peebles/SSA

2003 SSA

2001-4 Interface-Sci-Art Touring Exhibition – Gracefield Arts Centre, Dumfries; Kilmarnock; Wick; Inverness; St Andrews; Galashiels

2000 SSA/Art 2000

1999 Seeds of Time – new work Harestanes Environmental Centre, Ancrum

Glasgow Art Fair/Art 99

Works in Public and Private Collections

Standard Life, Edinburgh, Edinburgh College of Art, The National Trust for Scotland, Scottish Borders Council, Art in Healthcare Scotland, Flying Colours Gallery, East and Midlothian Art Fund, Capital Solutions, Eildon Group, Barclays Bank, Wetherspoons

Awards

2015 Visual Artist and Craft makers awards: South of Scotland

2014 Creative Place Commission -Eastgate Theatre, Peebles

2013 Edinburgh Laser Studio Award – SSA

2012 Con-text Residency – Heriot Watt University, School of Textiles, Galashiels

2011 Visual Artists Awards: Scottish Borders 2010-11

2008 Deloitte and Touche LLP Award – SSA

Scottish Natural Heritage – research award

Scottish Borders Council – research award

2005 The Evelyn Williams Trust – bursary – Drawing Quarters 2005 UWE

To study with Avis Newman

2004 The Hope Scott Trust – research award

Scottish Natural Heritage – research award

2000 Society of Scottish Artists – Edinburgh Printmakers Research Award

1993 John Florent Stone Scholarship

1991 RSA Student exhibition – Angus Award for Landscape

Borders Biennial – Commended

Memberships

1996 Professional Member of Society of Scottish Artists

Website: www.lizdouglas.co.uk