The Artist

Elizabeth Cameron - (1915 - 2008)

Elizabeth Cameron first learned to paint from her governess, but received more formal teaching at the Slade Art School and St. John's Wood Art School in London, painting mainly in oils.
 
In 1939 the Royal Academy and the Royal Scottish Academy accepted landscapes and portraits for exhibition, but the intervening war, her marriage to Allan Cameron, bringing up her children and running a frozen food business occupied most of her talent and energy until 1972 when she began to paint flowers in watercolour. At first these were roses, tulips, oriental poppies and rhododendrons inspired by the famous Scottish gardens at Brodick, Glenarn, Inverewe and of course her own wonderful garden at Allangrange which she and her husband created.

Rhododendron Ciliatum	Papaver Orientale	Rosa Gallica Versicolor

She received 3 Gold and 3 Silver medals from The Royal Horticultural Society in recognition of her accuracy in botanical detail and for pictorial excellence.
 
Perhaps most lovable of all her works, but more private, were her 'Floral ABC' and 'An ABC of Wild Flowers' written and illustrated for her grandchildren. These are rare compendia in which with words and pictures she was able to awaken a love and appreciation of the beauty of our native wildflowers.  They are now out of print, but as two more books have been written for her other grandchildren - one on trees and the other on garden flowers - we are hopeful that one day all four will be published as a set.

In 1980 a limited edition collection of paintings in 'A Book of White Flowers' was published - flower pictures with a haunting beauty evocative of a visit to that most famous of all white gardens at Sissinghurst where all the senses are assailed with pleasure; sadly that also is out of print, but the limited edition 'Book of Rhododendron'  in the same format is still available.

In 2004 two new booklets were printed for her grandchildren, on Geraniums and Thistles, which complete the trio with the Violet booklet printed in 2002. These are illustrated guides to 3 well loved native plants: a grandmother's blend of folklore and country wisdom.

Elizabeth Cameron had numerous solo exhibitions at home and abroad.

Sadly Elizabeth died in December 2008, painting up until two weeks before her death, four days before her death she announced that she would probably only live for another two or three years! although in January 2008 she stated that ‘this year I will die’ !! either way it was very peaceful and she is missed hugely, but she leaves a wonderful legacy of her paintings and prints scattered and appreciated all over the world.