Alison McWhirter has emerged as a leading figure among the New Scottish Colourists, earning acclaim for her vibrant, emotionally resonant paintings. Known for her striking still lifes, expressive landscapes, bold abstracts, and more recently, her evocative reclining nudes, McWhirter’s work is marked by a vivid use of colour, compositional daring, and a compelling interplay between realism and abstraction. At the heart of her art is a deep emotional intensity—what she calls “pure feeling”—and a desire to capture the beauty of the everyday in ways that elevate and transform. Though her works may appear spontaneous, they are often the result of deep introspection and experimentation, with her technique evolving toward greater abstraction through the use of fingers and palette knife, creating lush, textured surfaces in rich impasto.

Born in Dumfries in 1975, McWhirter studied at Cumbria College of Art and Design before completing her BA and MFA at Bath Spa University. Since then, she has exhibited widely across the UK and internationally, gaining a devoted following and critical respect. Notable exhibitions include the Glasgow Institute of Fine Arts, New York and Hong Kong Art Fairs, and solo shows such as True Colours (London, 2016), Wild Love (Glasgow, 2018), and Painted Love (Glasgow, 2020). Her ongoing commitment to artistic exploration and the emotional depth of her work continues to captivate audiences worldwide.