Carrol

Trying hard to fit family, work, painting and bluegrass banjo into my days. I was born in Jamaica on Christmas Day 1961, the eldest of 4 daughters to Harry and Sheila Neilan. My parents moved back to Scotland in 1964 and we lived in Aberdeen until 1970 when we moved to Dumfries. I showed a talent for painting at a very early age and was encouraged by my father and was fortunate to have the support of excellent art teachers all the way through primary and secondary education. I studied Drawing and Painting at Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art in Dundee for 4 years and graduated in 1983. I experimented with many styles and media and found that chalk and pastel suited me best. Most of my paintings from 1985 to 1992 are in this medium. In 1986 I married Colin Finlay in Dumfries and soon after the birth of our first son in 1988 we moved north to Elgin. I started work at a newspaper company as a graphic illustrator and was introduced to the world of computer graphic design. Our second son was born in 1991. After being made redundant in 1992 I decided to paint full time and discovered watercolours because oils and pastels were not very practical with 2 young sons in the house. I now prefer this medium to any other. I had my first large solo exhibition in 1993 which was a great success. We moved again in 1995, this time to West Kilbride in Ayrshire where I still live with my husband, 2 sons and 2 cats. In 2002 I graduated from the Open University after studying Computer Programming and database development. I have been employed as a Graphic/Web Designer and IT Assistant for a company in Kilmarnock since 2003. After the death of my father I was given his old banjo and took to playing it like a duck to water. It just felt so right and my favourite style is melodic picking Unfortunately in the last few years I have not painted very much due to employment and family commitments, but I have completed a few commissions and will still take on commissioned work if requested.