About

I am a visual artist working in oil paint and animation. My process begins with walking and drawing outdoors, particularly around the Highlands of Scotland, where I’m based. I am drawn to crepuscular landscapes and characters that embody a custodianship of nature. Inspired by their gentleness and strength, I return to the studio to reconstruct the topographies of those places, to create paintings that speak of myth, history, and truth.

Like a stage, my paintings set the scene for a story, inviting viewers into enchanting yet familiar spaces—bridges between two worlds. Through painting, I explore how imagination and visual storytelling can rekindle empathy for our living planet and celebrate the resilience of local habitats.

Izzy Thomson graduated from Gray’s School of Art in Aberdeen in 2016 with a First Class BA (Hons) in Painting. At her Degree Show, she won several awards and was subsequently selected for a year-long Graduate Residency at Leith School of Art in Edinburgh. Afterwards, Izzy returned to the Highlands and was awarded a Dewar Arts Award, securing a studio at the Wasps Inverness Creative Academy, where she is currently based. Izzy's recent achievements include receiving a Visual Artist and Craft Makers Award, which enabled her to complete a residency at Cove Park, a W.G. Gordon Smith and Mrs. Jay Gordon Smith Award for her painting Wolf Dog, exhibited at the Royal Scottish Academy during Visual Arts Scotland's Centenary Show. Izzy has recently completed the Turps Banana Correspondence Course and the John Busby Seabird Drawing Course, the latter of which she attended on their bursary.

I am working towards a conscious connection to natural materials. I carefully select paints from earth pigments without additives and in cold pressed oil, and sourced from relatively small manufacturers. I do my best to use reclaimed surfaces, such as board or organic linen or canvas.

2024    The Michael Harding Oil Painting Prize, Society of Wildlife Artists, Natural Eye Exhibtion, Mall Galleries, London

2024    W G Gordon Smith and Mrs Jay Gordon Smith Award, RSA, Edinburgh

2024    Bursary Winner, John Busby Seabird Drawing Week, SWLA, East Lothian​

2023   Shortlist, Andrew Stewart Award, North Yorkshire

2023   Highland Visual Artist & Craft Maker Award Scheme​

2022   Salt Tales, Open Fund for Individuals, Creative Scotland

2022 Weaving Beelines, funded by Museums Galleries Scotland, Cromarty

​2021 Northword Bringing Stories To Life, Development Grant, Robert Gordon University

2021 Spirit:360 Award, Illustrations for children's book in collaboration with Rosie Newman, Inverness

2021 Highland Visual Artist & Craft Maker Award Scheme, Self Directed Home Residency​

2019  Dewar Arts Award, Wasps Artist's Studio, Inverness

2018  Hope Scott Trust, Travel Award to British Columbia, Canada

2018 Highland Visual Artist & Craft Maker Award Scheme, Animation Tutorials, Glasgow

2018 Solo Exhibition at Moray Arts Centre

2018  The Prince's Trust, Materials Bursary ​

2016  Great Art Award, FLY, Visual Arts Scotland

2016  ACT Graduate Award, Arts Centre and Theatre

2015  Cross Trust Vacation Award, Travel Bursary to Iceland

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Education​

​2023/24  Turps Banana Correspondence Course ​

2021     Aardman Academy, Stop Motion 1, Funded place from Creative Access ​​

2012-16  Gray's School of Art, Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen: B.A. (Hons) Painting, First Class​

Selected Exhibitions​

2024  The Natural Eye, SWLA, Mall Galleries, London

2024  Glow, The Watermill Gallery, Aberfeldy 

2024  Now & Then, Visual Arts Scotland, Dalkeith Palace
2024  Art in Conversation II, 108 Fine Art Gallery, Harrogate,

2024 'Hope’ is the thing with Feathers, Visual Arts Scotland, The SOC, Aberlady

2024  Rewilding, Nature Galleries and Inverness Botanic Garden, Inverness

2024  VAS CENTENARY, Annual Exhibition, RSA, Edinburgh

2023   We Only Work Here, Wasps, Inverness Creative Academy

2023   Deasoil, Compass Gallery, Glasgow

2022   Winter Exhibtion, Compass Gallery, Glasgow

2022  Culbin the Dissapered Village, Elgin Library, Curated by Robert Gordon University, Elgin

2022  The Black Isle Collective, The Stables, Cromarty

​2021  Inverness Airport, Inverness

2021  Screen Test, Wasps Projects, Virtual Exhibition

2020  Re-imagined, Online, Hulabhaig, Uig

2019   In Between States, Skopje, Macedonia. Curated by Jon Blackwood Holy Yeoman

2019  Stravaig, Moray Arts Centre, Findhorn 

2019  ALIGHT, Visual Arts Scotland, Royal Scottish Academy, Edinburgh

​2018   Fully Awake, Dyson Gallery, Royal College Art, London

2018   Fresh, Patriothall Gallery, Edinburgh 

2018   Winter Exhibition, Compass Gallery, Glasgow

2018   Big Book Project, Houses of Parliament, Edinburgh

2018   The Lynn Painter-Stainers Prize, Mall Galleries, London  

2018   Leith School of Art, Oseana Kunst og Kultursenter, Os, Norway 

2017   VAU Members Show, Crownpoint Gallery, Glasgow

2017   In Media Res, Leith School of Art, Edinburgh

2017   Uncertain Territories, Seventeen Gallery, Aberdeen

2017   A Land Unfolding, Coburg House, Edinburgh

2017   Open Contemporary Young Artist Award, The Biscuit Factory, Newcastle 

2017   Fresh, Whitespace, Edinburgh 

2017   LSA End of Year Exhibitions / Summer Exhibition 2017: Year-Long Courses, Leith School of Art,               Edinburgh

​2016   FLY 2016, Visual Arts Scotland, Royal Scottish Academy, Edinburgh

2016   VAU Members Show, Edinburgh Palette, Edinburgh

2016   Qualia, Seventeen Gallery, Aberdeen

2016   New Generation Show, Compass Gallery, Glasgow

2016   Degree Show, Gray's School of Art, Aberdeen

Professional Development​​

2024   Flight for the Future: A Creative Climate Workshop, with Black Isle Collective and RSPB,    supported by Climate Action Fund, Udale Bay, Black Isle

2022-24 Artist Facilitator, Inverness Open Arts, Wasps

​2022  River Ness Hydro Mural, Highland Council & Eden Court, Inverness

2022  Storytelling Project, Artist Facilitator, Avoch Primary, Year of Stories 2022

2022  Artist Facilitator in 6 Highland secondary schools, River of Hope, The Thames Festival Trust

​2021  Banner Design, Cromarty Courthouse Museum

2025    Drawing Week, Isle of May (forthcoming)

2024    John Busby Seabird Drawing Week, Bursary Winner, SWLA, East Lothian

2024    Cove Park, supported by VACMA, Argyll and Bute​

2022  The Admiral’s House, Skye, Wasps, funded by Creative Scotland

​2021    Stories from the Sea, Self-Directed Residency supported by VACMA​

2018    Supported Visual Research trip, British Columbia, Canada​

2018    Winter Residency, Cove Park, Argyll and Bute​

2016-17  Graduate-in-Residence,  Leith School of Art, Edinburgh​

2016   Self-directed research trip, Shetland Islands