Pat Douthwaite

She haes been notably comparit tae Amedeo Modigliani an Chaim Soutine, the peintres maudits o early twentiet-yearhunner Paris.

Douthwaite wis born in Glesga, Scotland, tae Winifred an Thomas Leslie Douthwaite. She spent her early life in Paisley. She traivellt widely, bidin in various places athort the warld until her daith in Dundee, in 2002. Awtho she wis born in 1934, she claimt throuoot her life that she wis born in 1939.

In 1947, Douthwaite teuk up expressive dance an ballet classes, ainly makin the chyce tae be a penter later in her life, an athoot ony formal airt eddication. Her wark is featurt in several different museums. She wis mairriet tae Paul Hogarth atween 1963-1970, an they haed ane son thegither.

Douthwaite's extensive traivel durin her life saw her bidin in York, Edinburgh, Dumfriesshire, an Berwick upon Tweed. Forby, she traivellt tae North Africae, Indie an Peru.

Douthwaite teuk up dance classes in 1947, that wis taucht bi Margaret Morris. It wis there that she met the airtist J.D. Fergusson, Morris' pairtner. Fergusson wis a laundscape airtist an taucht Douthwaite hou tae appreciate the licht interactin wi a laundscape. She conteenad tae dance an wis a pairt o Morris's Celtic Ballet in 1954 at Jacob's Pillow Theatre in Massachusetts, U.S.A.

In the late 1950s, Douthwaite makit the chyce tae tak up a career in visual airt, raither nor dance, wi Fergusson perswaddin her nae tae tak formal airt eddication. She haed her first solo shaw at 57 Gallery in Edinburgh in 1958. She left Scotland in 1958, an associatit hersel wi a wide airtistic croud that includit Robert MacBryde, Robert Colquhoun, Peter Cook, Roger Law, an William Crozier, the latter she haed met in Glesga. She flittit intae Crozier's hoose in Essex in 1958, houaniver the extent o her relationship wi mony ither o the airtists isnae clear.

In December 1963 Douthwaite exhibitit alangside the airtists Philip Jones an Bill Featherstone at the Grabowski Gallery in Lunnon. A review o the exhibition bi Kenneth Coutts-Smith kythed in Arts Review, whaur he remarkit on her enigmatic, dreamlike an disturbin wark that he felt haed 'an almost embroidered applique effect'.

Douthwaite exhibitit wi the Women's International Art Club in Lunnon atween 1960 an 1966.

Awtho muckle o her wark explores issues surroondin femininity an wumanheid, Douthwaite didnae sel identify as a feminist. She wis gien various awards frae the Scottish Arts Council. In 2005, follaeing her daith, the Scottish National Gallery in Edinburgh haudit a memorial exhibition.

Douthwaite's wark pursued a variety o themes includin the Manson Trial, American Weemen Bandits an the aviator Amy Johnson.

 

In 1967, Richard Demarco saw Pat Douthwaite as a talentit Scots airtist an pit her Mary Queen of Scots in his Edinburgh gallery. In 1967 he debuted her Love Pictures. In 1972-79 her Paintings and Drawings wis shawn at the Talbot Rice Art Centre an then in 1982 Worshipped Women wis introduced bi Robert Graves at the Edinburgh Festival. Ither weel-kent supporters includit Douglas Hall an Guy Peploe. In Lunnon, 1982-83 Douthwaite exhibitit in the Royal College of Art an in the Third Eye Centre in Glesga, Scotland, 1999-89. She haed a solo exhibition in 1993 at the Scottish National Gallery in Edinburgh o her mair recent an final warks. The Scottish Gallery haudit a memorial shaw in 2005 wi an extensive catalogue.

Aberdeen Art Gallery, Ferens Art Gallery, Hull an the Scottish Arts Council.

• Art in Healthcare
• University of St Andrews
• Lillie Art Gallery
• Ferens Art Gallery
• City Art Centre
• Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art
• Paisley Museum and Art Galleries
• The Fleming Collection
• The Hepworth, Wakefield
• University of Stirling
• The Stirling Smith Art Gallery and Museum

Douthwaite haed a reputation as a "compelling" penter, but forby as difficult, an insecure. She is descrieved bi Cordelia Oliver as haein felt increasingly "alienated" throuoot her life, an haurd tae please.