About Margaret

Margaret Borthwick is a contemporary artist based in the West of Scotland. Her main love is the landscape and patterns found in nature, especially the woodlands and wetlands of her local area.

Margaret was a General Practitioner in Johnstone, Renfrewshire for 37 years and rediscovered her love of art when she semi-retired from medicine. She took art classes in various locations, gaining techniques, skills, knowledge and confidence. This then led to her sucessfully undertaking an Honours degree in Painting with the Open College of the Arts / University of Creative Arts. This was awarded in 2023.

Her degree show "Heartlands" was held at the Beacon Arts Centre Greenock in 2023. This was the culmination of a two year project involving walking in, exploring and sketching a local environment through the changing seasons, weather conditions and time of day and the way that these impacted and altered the observed environment. This "sense of place" is an important aspect of her work.

Margaret focuses on capturing the beauty of nature in oils and watercolour, emphasising colours and light. Patterns in nature are a particular interest for her and how these can be seen in intricate detail in the environment.

In 2024 Margaret became an artist member of the Paisley Art Institute and the Glasgow Society of Women Artists. She exhibits with these societies as well as exhibiting at a number of other organisations and locations.

Artistic Collaboration

In 2023, recent graduates of the Honours Painting degree course of the Open College of the Arts formed a collaborative group - Artlab23 - to exhibit and support each other in artistic practice. This group had an inspirational week long residency together in Devon in July 2025.

www.artlab.org

instagram @2023artlab

Experience

QUALIFICATIONS

2023 BA (honours) Painting, Open College of the Arts / University of Creative Arts. Graduated 2024

2007 - 19 Adult Art classes, University of Strathclyde Life Long Learning Department, Glasgow School of Art, House for an Art Lover in Glasgow.

1971 MB ChB, University of Edinburgh.

EXHIBITIONS

Glasgow Society of Woman Artists Exhibition, McLaurin Art Gallery, Ayr,5 April to 8 June 2025
Paisley Art Institute 136th Annual Exhibition, Glasgow Art Club, Bath Street, Glasgow, 28 April to 31 May 2025
New Cunninghame Annual Art Exhibition, Barony Centre, West Kilbride, 26 July to 16 August 2025
Creative learning, Barony Centre, West Kilbride, 23 October to 10 November 2025
McMillan Cancer Support Art Exhibition, Whitecraigs tennis and Sports Club, Glasgow, 14 to 16 November 2025
"Curious Spaces: Transitions in Landscape", Willesden Gallery, High Road, London. 9th to 20th July 2024. Exhibiting with fellow Artlab23 members.
New Cunningham Open Art Exhibition, Barony Centre, West Kilbride Ayrshire. 27th July to 17th August 2024.
Exhibition in Art Lovers Café, House for an Art Lover, Glasgow. Exhibition with Round About Art group, October 2024.
Paisley Art Institute exhibition held at the Glasgow Art Club, 2024.
Glasgow Society of Women Artists Exhibition held at the Lillie Gallery, Milngavie, 2024.
Paisley Art Institute 135th Open Exhibition, Glasgow Art Club, Bath Street, Glasgow. 16th April to 8th June 2024.
Gryffe Artists exhibition, Cargill Centre, Kilmacolm, Renfrewshire. Oct/Nov 2024. Exhibiting with four other artists.
Degree Show - "Heartlands" at the Beacon Arts Centre, Greenock, 2023
Big Art Show, Paisley, 2023.
Society for All Artists, Artist of the Year Awards group show, Nottingham Society of Artists Gallery, Sept 2022.
"Triple Exposure", Partickhill Bowling Club and Community Centre, Glasgow, Nov 2021. Exhibition with two other artists.
Group exhibitions with Paisley artists and Art Clubs, various dates.
Group exhibitions in aid of McMillan, Accord and Prince and Princess of Wales Hospice, Glasgow, various dates.

Other Achievements