Artist story
It’s more than a family affair at the Edinburgh Macmillan Art Show
A family of artists supports Macmillan over the decades.
Over 20 years ago, Meg Forrest exhibited at the Edinburgh Macmillan Art Show. Two decades later, Meg’s pioneering approach has inspired her daughter and grand daughter, Janet and MaryAnne Hunt, to participate in this year’s Edinburgh Macmillan Art Show.
Meg Forrest was a Scottish artist that built a reputation for the quality of her paintings of rural scenes. When she was approached, Meg was very happy to provide a work and undoubtedly her name helped to build the profile of what was, at the time, a fledgling show.
Although she couldn’t know it at the time, Meg was setting the foundation for the participation of her daughter and grand daughter in the Edinburgh Macmillan Art Show 2024 some twenty years later.
“If it wasn’t for my grandmother – or Gaga as I called her – I wouldn’t have known about or got involved with the Edinburgh Macmillan Art Show. It’s not just her keen sense of doing things to help good causes but also how she has, in some ways, shaped our approach to art for me and my mum,” says MaryAnne Hunt.
Inspired by my grandmother and my mum
This is the third year that MaryAnne Hunt is exhibiting at the show and, this year, she has persuaded her mother, Janet, to join her.
“For an artist, it’s great to know that your painting is helping others.”
She explains: “For an artist, it’s great to know that your painting is helping others. It goes directly to aiding the amazing work that the charity does. But, it’s also fantastic at building an artist’s profile. My mum, Janet, is such a brilliant artist. The detail in her botanic works is breath-taking.”
It’s difficult not to notice the influence of Meg Forrest in their work. MaryAnne often specialises in intricate line drawings based around her childhood memories like her grandmother.
While MaryAnne took some of her inspiration to focus on childhood memories from her grandmother, Janet inherited her love of nature. She paints both wild and cultivated flowers from her garden at home.
The ability of art to heal
MaryAnne Hunt is an award-winning artist and member of the Society of Scottish Artists. As well as the Edinburgh Macmillan Art Show, she has shown her work in an exhibition at the Royal Scottish Academy.
For MaryAnne, art has become more than just about the creative process but has been an integral part of her dealing with tragedy in her life.
“My art definitely helped my through a very dark time in my life but I’m also incredibly grateful for the organisations that were there to support me when I needed it most. Events like the art show allow artists like myself to make a positive contribution to ensure this good work continues,” she concludes.