Caroline McNairn, 1955-2010

Caroline McNairn was born in the town of Selkirk in the Scottish Borders, into an artistic family. McNairn's work is in the tradition of the Edinburgh School of painters, with sensuous colour use and masterful paint handling. She attended Edinburgh University from 1972 to 1978. McNairn's paintings drew on her knowledge and memory of the city, with images that were often expressive and bold, resembling early-twentieth-century French art. Her paintings feature contrasting shapes and textures, as well as interlocking forms. Her work frequently incorporates echoes of shapes from the Edinburgh cityscape, ranging from the hills surrounding the city to the Scott Monument. McNairn commonly worked in pastel because the medium allowed her to work quickly and easily, but she also painted in oils and watercolour. Her first one-man show was at Calton Studios in Edinburgh in 1980. At the age of 55 she died from cervical cancer.