Described by art critics as ‘the new Scottish colourist’ Alison McWhirter is renowned for her experimental, still life flower paintings and her bold abstract compositions and her work is much sought-after by collectors all over the world. She tells Carol Hogarth about her inspiration, about moving back to her home town of Dumfries, why she loves painting ‘with every inch’ of her being

Alison McWhirter’s paintings are exhibited and snapped up by art collectors all over the world, but it’s back in her home town of Dumfries that she’s discovering new inspiration – and peace.

Having lived in Glasgow for 10 years before heading south in 2023, she says: “I was exhausted with the bustle of Glasgow life. I just needed to go home again, to recalibrate.”

Wilting Red RosesWilting Red Roses by Alison McWhirter And, having moved into a three-storey, sandstone town house in Dumfries, with spacious rooms and a beautiful mature garden, Alison is enjoying peaceful contemplation among her plants and the space to work at home.

“This house is such a gift, though it’s been hard sought after,” she says. “I now have two studios, one that’s a cluttered mess where I do my flower paintings, the other on the top floor where I do abstract work. It’s much bigger and there’s hardly anything in it.”

Alison is renowned for her experimental, still life ‘flower paintings’ as well as bold, abstract compositions and she has been described by art critics as “the new Scottish colourist” echoing the group of post-Impressionist early 20th century painters known for their use of colour and brushstrokes.

Alison with Covent Garden on SolwayAlison with Covent Garden on Solway by Alison McWhirter But, conscious to avoid being pigeon-holed, she is constantly evolving her style, driving towards greater experimentation. She uses a palette knife, and her own fingers, to smear and swirl colour, often straight from a paint tube, around the canvas.

“I need to paint the flowers. They represent the impermanence of everything, loss and grief that I now understand I need to keep working through,” she explains.

“However, I believe I’m really an abstract painter. The abstracts are exhausting and infuriating but give me joy and satisfaction. I will always have this desire to be a better abstract painter.”

To A Friend Across The Sea (for Alan)To A Friend Across The Sea (for Alan) by Alison McWhirter Often responding to something she’s read, whether a work of literature, a poem or even just a single word, Alison says her abstract painting comes from the subconscious: “It’s gestural. It comes from feelings stored in the body. It’s cathartic, emotional and very physical.

“The material makes the work. You are the conduit. You’re communing with the paint. It’s the one time you have to not think. You have to get out of the way of the entire process and just let things happen.

“Some days it just comes into existence. Other days it’s like cajoling a stroppy teenager. It’s a love-hate relationship and it’s the greatest passion of my life. I feel very honoured to get to do it every day.”

Whithorn Shoreline SunriseWhithorn Shoreline Sunrise by Alison McWhirter  Alison grew up in Dumfries, attending St Ninian’s Primary School and Dumfries High School. Her father James was a modern languages teacher, who died of cancer 10 years ago, and her mum Sandra, who still lives in Dumfries, is highly creative with textiles, having taught Home Economics and run her own dressmaking business.

Alison’s brother Alan died suddenly of a brain haemorrhage in his 40s, only a few years after the family lost James.

“Dad was very scholarly. He had this thirst for knowledge. He really instilled that in my brother and me. Both of our parents were adamant that we make the best of our education.

Sea of Sunset, named after the Emily Dickinson poemSea of Sunset, named after the Emily Dickinson poem by Alison McWhirter “As a child I had an attraction for anything linked with creativity. I was really fascinated by the study of art and artists.”

After school, Alison completed a one-year foundation course at Cumbria College of Art & Design before heading to the Bath Academy of Art.

“It was a very conceptual college. My tutor was Maria Lalic, who has paintings in the Tate. We had a host of amazing visiting artists like Tracey Emin, Alex Landrum and Michael Simpson.

Venetian SpringVenetian Spring by Alison McWhirter  “I don’t think we realised what nourishment we were getting, being able to dip in and out of London, visit the Royal Academy of Arts, The National Gallery for the day…it opened up this world to me.

“I always painted but it was very experimental. I was really into printmaking and photography too and interested in text and image, stretching the parameters of what a painting is. The concept always came first for me.”

Alison was then invited to embark on a two-year Masters in Fine Art Visual Culture which she says was “a real privilege”: “I had a studio in a beautiful Georgian terrace, and was going into London, getting to meet famous artists like Tracey Emin, Sarah Lucas and Maggi Hambling.”

Garden ReverieGarden Reverie by Alison McWhirter  A spell in publishing, also in Bath, was followed by teacher training in Cardiff and six years full-time teaching.

But, she says: “I felt so suffocated as a teacher. I felt if I didn’t do something creative, I would go mad. One afternoon I took all this paint from the kitchen cupboard and got a massive sheet of canvas and just went crazy making an expressive abstract painting. I sat back and looked at it and thought that was it. I knew I could paint.

“It was the defining moment of my life, or certainly my career.”

When her marriage broke down, Alison returned to Scotland, where her dad was terminally ill. “Both my parents told me: ‘You’re a painter, we know you are’.”

After James died, Alison moved to Glasgow, where she lived for 10 years: “The city welcomed me into the fold. I felt very supported by artists and galleries. Everyone seemed to like the work I was making.”

Sunflower and Roses with LoveSunflower and Roses with Love by Alison McWhirter She built relationships with the Annan Gallery in Glasgow’s West End and the Russell Gallery in London, both of which still stage solo shows of her work every two years.

Alison’s paintings are much sought after by collectors around the world, fetching up to £7,000 each. She has shown successfully in New York and her work is being exhibited in Singapore for the first time in November.

But, despite her success, she is never complacent: “I’m always afraid that one day a light will go out and somebody will say ‘I don’t like her work anymore’.

“I love painting with every inch of my being, and I believe that art enhances all of our lives.”