
Susan Mitchell Local Artist to Peebles

Susan Mitchell Local Artist to Peebles
Margaret was born in Dunfermline, Fife, and qualified as a primary school teacher where an ability to draw and paint was extremely useful. After her marriage to Mike and the birth of their two children she returned in earnest to her artistic work, concentrating on watercolours, with landscapes and flowers being favourite subjects.
She first exhibited in Cyprus where the family lived for 3 years in the’70s, and Mike’s subsequent Army postings around the world gave her opportunities to paint and exhibit in Hong Kong and Germany – she even staged an exhibition for the expatriate community in Canton in China in 1985, just as that country was re-opening to the west.
When Mike retired from the Army the family moved to Edinburgh, and the main inspiration for her present work is the Scottish landscape and its ever-changing light, weather and seasonal colours. In recent years she has branched out into pastel, mixed media and printmaking, mainly using linocuts.
I have always had a huge interest in Art ever since I was a child. I loved art classes throughout my school years and after leaving I attended Dundee College of Commerce and gained a Scottish Diploma in Art & Design.
However, on leaving I took a job in Retail Management and art seemed to take a back seat for a few years (20 in fact !!!). Art was just a hobby for many years until I went back to work part time after my children started school. The new job was a welcome return to my original choice of career & I am still there after 16 years!
I am a Visual Merchandiser for Rogerson Footwear which I love as this enables me to be creative! In my spare time I enjoy painting modern art. I use acrylics and paint mostly contemporary designs.
Please visit our gallery to see Jo Grewar’s work, or buy from this artist and many others.
Barbara enjoyed drawing and painting from an early age, but it was not until she met her husband, Marc Sewell, that she began serious art study. It was under the guidance and encouragement of David Holmes that Barbara learned how to combine colours and experiment with them. Her latest work shows the results of this learning curve.
Barbara draws her inspiration from nature. Her work reflects her spontaneous emotional response to her surroundings. She has been influenced by the works of Keith Vaughan, Peter Lanyon and the French painter, Pascal Magis, but she has certainly managed to find her own style and voice.
Having moved back to The Borders, Barbara’s work reflects an emotional response to the beautiful landscape and colours that surround her in Innerleithen.