Shirley Spottiswoode

I was born at Rye, East Sussex in 1933.

After school at Queenswood in Hertfordshire, where Miss Pilgrim, the art teacher gave me a wonderful start, I attended The Hastings Art School and was taught painting by Vincent Lines. Later on, I taught Art, and, rather unwillingly, other subjects, such as cricket and nature study, at Worth Priory (now abbey) and St. Hugh’s at Woodhall Spa.

In 1963 I went to the US. Where I did the 99 days for 99 dollars by Greyhound Bus, sketching all the way. I covered 20,000 miles!

Frank and I were married in SAN Francisco, where I lived for two years.

We came to live in Edinburgh where I studied woven tapestry at the College of Art, taught by the legendary Archie Brennan.

Since then, I have exhibited often in Edinburgh and Rye.

We lived in Dumfriesshire too, for 15 years and studied with Archie Sutter Watt who exemplified all that is good about painting and drawing. How fortunate I have been with my teachers.

I studied screen printing and Lino printing more recently at The Curwen Press. Printing has given me such pleasure. I can’t get enough of it!