Remembering Liz Douglas

It is with great sadness that I have to inform you that Liz Douglas has tragically passed, following a short battle with cancer. It was an absolute honour to work with Liz and to host her most recent show: Shoormal – A Space Between… (March 2022). Liz was incredibly admired amongst her fellow artists and I wanted to reflect upon the joy that Liz’s life and work brought to the world.

After studying a BA Hons in Drawing and Painting at Edinburgh College of Art, Liz completed a postgraduate Master of Fine Art Painting degree in 1993. Liz travelled to Spain after her first year to study the work of painters in Barcelona and Madrid. Liz also journeyed to Italy and Japan to learn about their different practises of painting. These fundamental trips influenced and transformed the direction of her art making. Liz’s work revolves around environments of scientific significance, such as the Northwest Highlands, Scottish Borders and the Flow Country. 

Liz was born in Angus and worked in the Scottish Borders, but she also spent time living in Canada and East Africa. After graduating, Liz won a number of awards, scholarships and residencies. 

In 1991, Liz was given the Angus Award for Landscape, as well as being commended in the Borders Biennial. Liz was awarded the John Florent Stone Scholarship in 1993 and the Edinburgh Printmakers Research Award in 2000. Other awards include: The Hope Scott Trust research award & Scottish Natural Heritage – research award (2004), Drawing Quarters & The Evelyn William Trust – Bursary (2005), Deloitte and Touche LLP Award – SSA Annual Exhibition, Scottish Natural Heritage – research award & Scottish Borders Council – research award 2008), Visual Artists Awards: Scottish Borders 2010/11 (2011), con-TEXT Residencies 2011/12 – Heriot Watt University, School of Textiles and Design, Galashiels (2012), Edinburgh Laser Studio Award – SSA (2013), Creative Place Commission 2014 – Eastgate Theatre, Peebles (2014), as well as, Visual Artist and Craft Makers Awards: South of Scotland 2014-15 (2015).

Liz regularly exhibited in the UK and throughout the world. In 1995, Liz was commissioned by Ettrick & Lauderdale Museum Service to complete Written on the Rock. Two years later, she was elected to be a Professional Member of the Society of Scottish Artists. She was member of Wasps Artists Studios, Selkirk, where she had a studio for 15 years. Liz holds work in public and private collections, such as Flying Colours Gallery, Standard Life and The National Trust for Scotland, Scottish Borders Council, Paintings in Hospitals and East and Midlothian Art Fund. Liz also worked with Scottish Natural Heritage; The Royal Botanic Gardens, Edinburgh; The Borders Forest trust; and The Carrifran Wildwood Project. 

Liz held three solo exhibitions at &Gallery, including: Shoormal – a space between… (March 2022), Mire: Pools & Pockets (November 2017) and Out of the Mire (March 2015) at Bridge of Allan.  

Liz’s contemporary artworks combined drawing and paintings to express a new way of representing and challenging landscapes. 

In her recent show Shoormal – a space between… Liz said: "My aim is to create a sense of simplicity in structure, form and colour. I sift and edit from a myriad of visual references that I use freely in the underpainting of a work. It is the visual reimagining of the landscape that I find compelling. A sense of musical notation and poetics in the finished work is something that I aspire to."

Liz will be greatly missed and our thoughts are with all of the people who Liz touched with her wonderful life.