Janet M. Melrose RSW

Janet studied at Edinburgh College of Art under John Busby ARSA, RSW and William Baillie PPRSA, graduating in 1987 with a BA (Hons) in Drawing and Painting. After receiving the Andrew Grant Bursary in the same year, she continued her studies at the Lorenzo de Medici School of Art in Florence. Janet also received the Warsteiner Award at the Glasgow Garden Festival in 1988. She was shortlisted for the J.D. Ferguson Award in 2005, received the Angus College open exhibition Purchase Prize in 2006 and shortlisted for the John Moores 24 in the Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool. Janet is one of the finalist's of The Aspect Prize.

She has continued to paint after graduating and tutored part-time in community education. Following her resignation from teaching she has painted professionally for the last ten years. She now works from her studio in Perthshire where she uses the influences of the natural world and our impact on it. Janet's has exhibited in numerous solo and mixed shows throughout Scotland, London and New York. Her work is in many collections including; Flemings Bank, The Bonham Hotel, The Lints Partnership SSC, Gardiner & Theobald, Royal Air Force, The Fringe Society, Holmes Place Plc and also in many individual private collections including that of the Rt Hon & Mrs Alastair Darling, Baroness Smith and Denis Lawson. Harlequin Press featured her work in John Busby's publication 'Drawing Birds' and 'Eight by Eight'. Janet's paintings were also featured on STV 'Home Show' in September 1998.Recently Janets has developed ideas based on the walled garden at home as an enclosed space in which incidents take place; walking around the garden making drawings of plants growing out of stone walls, watching bees disappear into flowers and wrens flying between banking and the river. All these influences combine to produce paintings which are understated and at times have a sense of humour. She exhibits regularly in galleries along with undertaking commissions for private collectors.