Alison McWhirter BA MA was born in Dumfries, Scotland in 1975.
McWhirter attended Bath Academy where she trained as a painter gaining a BA in Fine Art in 1998.
She continued her studies to gain a Postgraduate MA in Visual Culture 2000.
Bath Academy of Art has produced such luminaries as the colourist Howard Hodgkin.
After establishing a career in publishing, as well as teaching art, McWhirter returned to South West Scotland to pursue her career as a painter; her raison d’etre.
Since moving to Glasgow in June 2012, McWhirter has had work accepted by the Royal Glasgow Institute to exhibit at the Annual RGI show in 2012 and 2013.
McWhirter’s studies of flowers are intimate compositions which evoke a mood through their vibrancy of colour and loose bold brushwork. Her paintings are instinctive responses to her subject, often mixing paint directly on the canvas, so creating a sense of spontaneity which is prevalent in all her work.
McWhirter’s abstract works are sensorial responses to places which hover in the minds eye, they seem to create a visual order all of their own.
McWhirter has had exposure in The Scotland on Sunday in 2011 where she was described as ‘The new Scottish Colourist’. In 2012 Homes and Interiors Magazine deemed her to be one of the top Contemporary Scottish Colourists making waves in the art world.
McWhirter’s instantly recognisable work is held in private collections throughout the UK.
McWhirter has shown internationally in 2014 and 2015 at New York Art Fair and Hong Kong Art Fair selling out in NYC last year.
Her first solo London show will be at The Russell Gallery in February 2016.
“Her unerring command of colour and unique ability to create novel combinations are nothing short of sensational; they continually amaze me”. Collector
Exhibitions History
2010 Solo Show Harbour Arts Centre, Ayrshire Scotland
2011 Art Exposure Gallery, Glasgow
2011 Group shows, Scotland Art, Glasgow
2011 London Affordable Art Fair, Battersea
2012/13 Russell Gallery, London Summer and Winter Exhibitions
2012/13 Gallery at Fifty Five, Aberdeen Group Exhibition
2012 Royal Glasgow institute Annual show (Selected)
2012 The Biscuit Factory, Newcastle Spring Show
2013 The Whitehouse Gallery, Dumfriesshire Summer show
2012/13 Junction Art Gallery, Oxford
2013 Carina Haslam, London Gallery Winter Exhibition
2013 The Royal Glasgow Institute Annual show (selected)
2013 Paisley Art Institute Annual Show (selected)
2013 Lemond Gallery Glasgow Summer and Winter shows
2013 Red Rag, Bath Scottish Exhibition
2014 Winter Show The Russell Gallery, London
2014 Winter Show Fairfax Gallery, Burnham –on- Sea
2014 Paisley Art Institute Annual Show (selected)
2015 Lime Tree Gallery, Bristol Mixed Exhibition
2014 Gallery at Fifty Five, Aberdeen Group Exhibition
2014 20-21st International Royal College of Art with Carina Haslam
2014 Chelsea Art Fair with Carina Haslam Gallery Spring
2014 New York Art Fair with Carina Haslam Gallery Spring
2014 The Biscuit Factory, Newcastle Spring Show
2014 Mixed Exhibition Arteries Glasgow
2014 Scottish Art Exhibition with Corrymella Scott, Sage, Gateshead
2014 Gallery Q Spring Exhibition
2015 New York Art Fair with Carina Haslam
2015 Chelsea Art Fair with The Russell Gallery London
2015 Ainscough Contemporary Art Gallery, Dartmouth Mixed Exhibition
2015 Arundel Art Rooms, West Sussex Mixed Exhibition
2015 Morningside Gallery, Edinburgh Spring Exhibition
2015 Lime Tree Gallery, Bristol Mixed Exhibition
2015 Hong Kong Art Fair, Fairfax Gallery Norfolk
2015 20-21 International Art Fair at The Royal College
2015 Glasgow Art Fair with Gallery at Fifty Five
2015 Edinburgh Art Fair with Gallery Q Dundee
2015 Hampstead Affordable Art Fair
2015 Summer Show The Russell Gallery, London
2015 ‘Squaring the Circle’ Two person show with Stephen Skrynka, Glasgow
2015 Two Person show with Jennifer Irvine RGI, Lemond Gallery Glasgow
2015 Mixed Exhibition Arteries Glasgow
2015 Scottish Art Exhibition with Corrymella Scott, Sage, Gateshead
2016 Solo Exhibition at The Russell Gallery, London