Margaret Scott was born in Opunake, Taranaki in 1947 and has lived all her life on the Taranaki coast in New Zealand.

For 35 years Margaret lived on a dairy farm with her husband Ian, and bought up their four children, painted, and helped with the running of the farm. 

 

Margaret describes her work as personal symbolism, as it is based on personally acquired and assimilated experiences of her life and the environment where she lives. This environment, between the mountain, Mt Egmont/Taranaki, and the Taranaki coastline is reflected through the symbols she paints within her work.  

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Shellfish, such as Paua and the ocean, feature strongly in her work as it symbolises the memories of her childhood growing up on the coast at Oaonui, and the coastal environment itself. The paintings of cows reflect her time living on the farm in Awatuna.

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Her work also focuses on the views she has of the Kaitaki ranges and the native plants in her garden such as Nikaus, Pukas, flax and Cabbage trees, and the many flowers that appear in her paintings. This new environment, with beautiful views of the sea is an abundant resource for creative ideas. 

Well-travelled, Margaret often uses imagery from photos taken abroad, and features them in many of her mixed media works. 

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Margaret taught polytechnic and night classes in the early years when her children were young, and exhibited with the Taranaki Arts society, Hawera Art Club, and The Stratford Art Society. She was a foundation member of The Egmont Community Arts Council and was The Chairperson of this organisation for 10 years.

During this time, she was elected to The Central Regional Arts Council in Wellington and was involved with helping securing funding for rural arts communities. In 1993 she became HOD of Art at Opunake High School where she taught for 10 years.

In 2002 Margaret opened her Art by The Sea Studio next to her home

in Oakura. Here she exhibits her work and runs workshops for adults and extension classes for students. Margaret also mentors emerging artists and gives talks to interested community groups, and schools.

 

Margaret is a foundation member of the Oakura Arts Trail and the Taranaki Arts Trail, which involves this thriving arts community and its artists, opening their studios to the public.

 

Margaret paints mainly in acrylics, but she also paints with watercolours and mixed media.  She alternates her media, so she does not become bored with her work. Margaret has also explored the printmaking techniques of zinc and solar plate etching, and often works with clay.

 

In 2015 she wrote and produced her own book called ‘Self Portrait of a Paua', which is both part autobiographical and part resource.

In 2017 Margaret held her 50-year retrospective exhibition at Percy Thompson Gallery called 'A Sense of Place' which showcased over 70 different works from throughout her career.

 

She has produced many commissioned works and is the designer of the Jason Products placemats the 'Sea Bounty' series, which are marketed throughout New Zealand and overseas.  She has a large range of prints and cards for sale produced from her original work.

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