Catriona Millar (born 1956)[1] is a Scottish figurative painter born in Milngavie, Glasgow. She studied at Harrogate School of Art and Grays School of Art,[2] Aberdeen, where her tutors included Joyce Cairns RSA and Keith Grant. Since the success of her 2005 degree show she has exhibited across the UK including the Royal Scottish Academy, Edinburgh.[3] Her works are in both private and public collections.[4] In October 2006 she came to the attention of Charles Saatchi with her first solo exhibition at the Dundas Street Gallery, Edinburgh. In April 2007 The Herald ranked her in the top five most collectable artists in Scotland.[5] In 2012 Catriona Millar was listed in 'Who's Who in Scotland'. Her paintings can be seen on book jackets and CD covers while many schools and colleges around the world study her work.
Like many Scottish painters Catriona Millar is a true colourist. Colour and pattern define her work but beneath the surface they portray the full spectrum of the human condition – joy, hope, longing and melancholy and often alongside an animal companion.‘Up close the viewer is tempted to reach out and touch the canvas, so packed is it with paint. While this might be seen as simply a preferred painting technique, the depth of character and subtle nuances of narrative that Catriona Millar achieves is what sets her figurative work apart from anything else you’ll see.’ – Homes & Interiors Magazine
Catriona Millar is married to the Scottish columnist and Arts Critic Roddy Phillips.