Cara Mckinnon Crawford

Cara McKinnon Crawford was born in Campbeltown, Argyll, and raised in the Highland village of Strathpeffer. All aspects of the arts were central to her formative years, laterally resulting in a B.A Honours Degree in Drawing and Painting at Glasgow School of Art in 1984. ‘My upbringing surrounded by the beauty and diversity of the Highland landscape is imprinted on my very soul, and continues to be my subject matter. I love the isolation of the more remote parts of Scotland’. Art critic Julian Halsby said recently, ‘If I had to summarise the paintings of Cara Mckinnon Crawford in a few key words, I would select ‘colour’, ‘energy’, ‘drama’ and ‘isolation.’ Colour plays a central role in her work and, in this, she follows a Scottish tradition that stems from the Glasgow School to the Colourist paintings of Peploe, Cadell and Hunter. Her paintings exude a certain energy, which reflects not only the fact that they were mostly painted outside and often in adverse weather conditions, but also Cara’s personality and her restless exploration of Scotland. A great sense of isolation is also evident in her work, as she seeks out unknown and remote landscapes to paint. As one Scotland's most established artists, Cara has exhibited widely in gallery's throughout the UK. Her work is held in private collections internationally, and two of her paintings are on permanent display in the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh.