Morag Thomson Merriman, Artist

Morag graduated with a MA Hons Fine Art degree from Edinburgh University and Edinburgh College of Art in 1992.  After working in the arts sector for a number of years and starting her family, Morag refocused on her own art work in 2012 when she committed to a daily sketchbook practice. Since then, this has evolved through constant experimentation in visual diaries and sketchbooks, enabling her to find her voice and preferred palette of colours. Working across multiple sketchbooks continues to be a cornerstone of her creative method.

Having lived in the same part of Edinburgh all her life, Morag has a strong and unique relationship to the land beneath her feet, specifically the streets and green spaces of this urban neighbourhood.  The focus of her practice is to convey a sense of her personal archaeology, now overlayered by loss, absence and change.

Recurring motifs in Morag’s recent work, such as earthy handmade pots, garden plants, and background or textural references to long remembered landscapes, have deeply personal and commemorative meanings.  Morag has inherited her Mum’s beloved collection of pottery ware, which has sparked a deep dive in her sketchbooks of observational drawings and more abstract experiments. Plants and cuttings also feature, these taken from her late parents’ home of more than 50 years, now transplanted in her own garden.  Memories of treasured childhood walks with her geographer father who taught her much about the local landscape, and drew beautiful illustrations of their adventures, also inspire Morag, as do the landscapes of her husband’s birthplace, Orkney, with regular family trips there since 2001.

Do follow Morag on Instagram where you will find the most recent work, studio updates and videos.

Please find CV below.

 

 

 

 

Morag Thomson Merriman, The Wound Within, emotional landscape, Fading Series, 12x7.5cms 2022
Morag Thomson Merriman, Artist

CV

SELECTED EXHIBITIONS

2025 SSA ‘The Land’ exhibition, The Dick Institute, Kilmarnock

2025  RSW 144th Annual Exhibition, Royal Scottish Academy, Edinburgh.  Awarded the RSW Watermark Award for “Recalibrating”, Plants & Pots series 2024

2024  SSA 126th Annual Exhibition 30 x 30

2024   Ulaidhean / Treasures, SSA at Gairloch Museum, Wester Ross

2024   VAS 30 x 30, Borders Art Fair, Kelso

2024   VAS Centenary Show 30 x 30, Royal Scottish Academy, Edinburgh

2024   RSW 143rd Annual Exhibition, Royal Scottish Academy, Edinburgh

2023   SSA 125th Annual Exhibition 30 x 30 online

2023   AngusAlive Meffan Winter Show, Meffan Museum & Art Gallery, Forfar, Angus

2023   RSW 142nd Annual Exhibition, Royal Scottish Academy, Edinburgh

2022   SSA 124th Annual Exhibition 30 x 30, Royal Scottish Academy, Edinburgh

2010   Group Exhibition, Craft House Concept Gallery, Newington, Edinburgh

1995   ‘A Day in the Life of Scotland’ Photographic Competition organised by The Scotsman & the Scottish National Portrait Gallery in association with the exhibition “Light From the Dark Room”, Royal Scottish Academy, Edinburgh

1993   Christmas Watercolour Group Exhibition, ESU Scotland, Edinburgh

1993   CD2 Show, Collective Gallery, Edinburgh

1993   Group Exhibition, Harestanes Visitors’ Centre, Jedburgh

1992   Solo Exhibition, Helensburgh Music Society October concert, Helensburgh

1992   RSA Students’ Exhibition, Royal Scottish Academy, Edinburgh

AWARDS

2023   Longlisted for final selection, Scottish Landscape Awards exhibition 2023

2013   AccessArt Star Award

COMMISSIONS

2017-2019   Commissions for UK private clients

2011   Commissions for local authority and private clients in UK

EDUCATION AND CONTINUING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

2022 – present:   Mentoring with visual artist, writer and mentor Samantha Clark

2022   My sketchbooks were referenced at an international InSEA webinar as an exemplar of using visual journals to develop visual thinking in education.

2014   Selected participant in the Scottish Book Trust Illustration Lab (led by Jonathan Gibbs and Vivian French, with Catherine Rayner and Nick Sharratt)

2013   Member-tutor, AccessArt ‘Focus on Drawing’ project (online)

1993 – 1994   Moray House Institute of Education, AMTIS postgraduate training programme with placement in the Talbot Rice Gallery, Edinburgh

1987-1992   Edinburgh University & Edinburgh College of Art, MA (Hons) Fine Art 

COLLECTIONS
Work in private collections in UK and America

 EMPLOYMENT

2022 – present   Social Media Marketeer, AccessArt Creative Direction Team (resource contributor 2012 – present)

1997 – 2007   Grants Administrator, Scottish Arts Council

1994 – 2001   Grants Admin Assistant, Edinburgh City Council Arts Development Team.  Arts administration for Edinburgh District Arts Council.

About Morag Thomson Merriman

Visual Diaries & Sketchbooks