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Liz Douglas, Artist
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The Scottish Art World lost an original and creative force the
death of Selkirk artist Liz Douglas aged 76, When she was
diagnosed with pancreatic cancer tributes poured in from friends and
fellow artists many of whom have been inspired by Liz's exceptional
talents
The daughter of third generation master joiner
James Bruce and his wife Elizabeth nee Abercrombie, who worked as a code
breaker at Bletchley Park during the Second World War. Liz was
born in 1945 in the Fyfe-Jamieson Maternity Hospital in Forfar.
Along with her younger siblings Jean and Keith, she was educated at
Aberlemno Primary and Brechin High School. Her talents were
nurtured by the art teacher who encouraged her to apply for a place at
art school. Like many of her generation, Liz's aspirations were
thwarted by her parents who insisted she get a 'proper job', so she
found herself working as a teller at the Royal Bank of Scotland's branch
in Brechin
In 1963, Liz was invited to spend a year living
in Canada with Toronto-based cousins. Delighted to be given the
opportunity to experience a totally different culture, the 18-year old
took every opportunity to broaden her horizon and take on new ideas.
Back
in Scotland she resumed her work in the
bank, this time in Edinburgh, before completing a secretarial course at
Stevenson's College. This is individuality and unique personal style was
beginning to reveal itself.
She took a job as secretary to Scottish publisher Archie
Turnbull at Edinburgh University Press so this horizon expands still
further. She has given the opportunity to travel to book fairs in cities
such as London and Frankfurt, although there is a box cover design would
often illicit more interest than its contents.
She met future her husband, Edinburgh University sociology student
James Douglas, after both had signed up for the same local authority art
class at Darroch School in 1969. The couple were married in Aberlemno Parish
Church on 16th August 1971 and in October of that year moved to
Uganda where Jim had been awarded a postgraduate scholarship at Makerere
University in Kampala
Liz was employed as secretary to
Professor Ali Mazrui, the well known Kenyan academic and political writer.
At some risk Liz would smuggle out personal correspondence from the
professor to former President Milton Abote, then living in exile in
Tanzania
She and Jim delighted in exploring the African countryside
and its many game parks, but were forced to return home to Scotland in
1972 following Idi Amin's expulsion of 50,000 Ugandan Asians.
Doubly
determined to win a place at Edinburgh College, by 1975 liz had
amassed the necessary qualifications to enroll on its honours degree
course in drawing and painting. That same year, Liz and Jim left Edinburgh to
set up home in Selkirk having decided to town would make an ideal hub
from which to travel the world.
Liz studied at Edinburgh
College of Art for two years and then took a break to start a family.
The couple were delighted by the arrival of Erica in 1979 and Hannah in 1982.
With
Jim now a full time primary school teacher in Selkirk Liz became adept at
juggling child-rearing with her painting. Throughout this period she produced
enough material not only to display at local
exhibitions but to sell through outlets such as the Sunflower Gallery in
Peebles.
Returning to Edinburgh College of art in 1990, Liz completed her
degree and subsequently secured scholarships allowing her to gain both
the Masters of Art and Masters of Fine Art degrees.
Liz Douglas died at
Selkirk on the 10th of May 2022.
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Source
Sources for this article include:
Jim Douglas
Any contributions will be
gratefully accepted
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