Mairi Stewart was born in Scotland and studied Drawing and Painting at Edinburgh College of Art from 1973 – 1977 and was tutored by Victoria Crowe, Elizabeth Blackadder and Bob Callender. She gained her teaching certificate at Moray House College of Education in 1978 and went on to teach Art and Design in schools around Edinburgh, for many years.

Throughout this time she continued, as far as possible, to develop and exhibit her work.

In 2009, she made the decision to concentrate fully on developing her own style of working and has been a professional artist since then, working full time from her studio in Edinburgh.

 "My still life paintings are a personal response to my surroundings and to the familiar objects, colours and patterns which have become embedded in my memory, often because of their more symbolic meaning or of a past significance that they have.

Personal connections and meanings are important to me and I prefer to use objects which suggest particular feelings and emotions, as they help me to create new sensations in my work.  I often fuse indoor and outdoor worlds and try to combine elements from a variety of different sources, with the aim of creating a narrative.

I work mainly in Acrylic Paints on canvas or board, this allows me to glaze layers of colour on to the surface of the work and create a much more intense colour palette, giving the work a more contemporary feel to it."

2009   Exhibitions
Torrance Gallery     Edinburgh
Di Rollo Gallery       Edinburgh

2010  Exhibitions
Jerdan Gallery             Fife.  “Picture Perfect” Exhibition  
Paisley Art Institute     122nd Annual Art Exhibition 2010
Leith   Gallery              Edinburgh,    “Eclectic Eye” and “Sea Shanties” Exhibitions
Flaubert Gallery          Edinburgh.   2 person Exhibition  ”Fleeting Moments, Still Lives”
Edinburgh Macmillan Art Show 2010

2011 Exhibitions
Torrance Gallery
Jerdan Gallery           “ Spring Fling” Exhibition
Paisley Art Institute    123rd Annual Art Exhibition 2011  
Leith Gallery                 Festival Exhibition
Flaubert Gallery           Mixed Exhibition
Edinburgh MacMillan Art Show 2011 Mixed Exhibition

2012 Exhibitions
Whitehouse Gallery Kirkcudbright
Paisley Art Institute 124th Annual Art Exhibition 2012
Iona House Gallery Cambridge
Flaubert Gallery Edinburgh