Elizabeth Blackadder RA

Elizabeth Blackadder RA

Elizabeth Blackadder RA is one of Scotland's greatest artists and well known for her detailed watercolours of flowers, still-life compositions and her depictions of cats.

Artist profile

Elizabeth Blackadder RA was born in Falkirk in 1931. She studied at Edinburgh University and Edinburgh College of Art from 1949 until 1954. In 1954 she was awarded a Carnegie Travelling Scholarship by the Royal Scottish Academy, which took her to southern Europe. Blackadder also received an Andrew Grant Post-Graduate Scholarship. In 1955 she was awarded another Travelling Scholarship and spent nine months in Italy. 


Her first solo exhibition was held in 1959 at 57 Gallery, Edinburgh. Since then, solo exhibitions of Blackadder's work have been held almost every year to date, both nationally and internationally. She has also participated extensively in group exhibitions around the world.


Blackadder was elected Member of the Royal Scottish Academy in 1972 and a Royal Academician in 1976 - she was the first woman to be elected to both. In 1983 she was elected as a Member of The Royal Glasgow Institute of Fine Arts.

Photo: © Royal Academy of Arts

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