Reset and re-energise at new HAC exhibition

The Harbour Arts Centre has welcomed a much-loved local artist for a burst of colour, intrigue and vibrancy this summer.

Based at Courtyard Studios in an inspiring space with beautiful scenic seaside views, Margaret Carslaw is anything but the traditional coastal landscape artist you might expect!

After raising her children and deciding to go to Glasgow School of Art in her early 50's, Margaret has over three decades of creative experience and art practice to share…

Better yet, her work is expansive and huge with her latest exhibition promising a feast for the eyes across a host of super largescale canvases.

Looking forward to returning to the HAC with her ‘Formation’ exhibition, artist Margaret shares: “I read somewhere, if you want to live a long life, become an artist. I may be living proof as this year I’ll be 89! I have a deep history with the Harbour Arts Centre going back to the 1980’s when it was a community led organisation, so to have a solo show on my doorstep, with my studio next door at the Courtyard, feels just like home.”

When asked about her creative process, Margaret explains: “I studied at Glasgow School of Art on the BA (Hons) Fine Art course. This transformed everything; my practice, my ambitions and my thought process. This is where I started painting on large scale canvases. I loved every moment of it, even the criticism and the challenges - being an artist isn’t easy, it takes courage. Also it’s never too late - I became a student when my children left home, so if you have artistic ambitions do not let age hold you back. Aging is positive!”

With free entry and several artworks on display available for purchase, Formation in the HAC’s Main Galleries is an immersive journey into Margaret’s creative process where ideas begin, how they evolve and why a finished painting never ends. The exhibition will take place from Friday 10 July until Saturday 22 August 2026.

Margaret invites you to step into her beautiful ordinary, the abstract natural world, seen through her powerful large-scale oil paintings accompanied by original source material, drawings, sketches and the written word.

Large expansive canvases in a host of punchy and perfectly imperfect styles will offer viewers the chance to have a moment to breathe in nature and look beyond.

Immersing herself in nature and the joy of her local surroundings, Margaret explains: “The natural world is my inspiration, flowers, trees, plant-forms, the sea and the horizon around me at my studio at Irvine’s Harbourside. Up close the natural world is a maelstrom of life and death, transience, rebirth. I see beauty in that struggle, even in the chaos of weeds. It’s subversive to paint things that many often see as a nuisance or something to be controlled. Nature is never a problem, nature is the answer.”

Margaret is known for her unique ability to celebrate beauty in decay including the rust and erosion found on maritime infrastructure such as chains, cobbles, anchors and pillars. Or when most look to the green leaves of a tree, Margaret has a fascination with the autumnal palette of fallen leaves and chipped tree bark.

For younger visitors and teens, Margaret hopes to encourage those on their school break to put their phones and tablets down and instead sketch, paint and get creative this summer.

She adds: “I hope visitors to my exhibition will find themselves immersed in another world, where small seeds become iconic, leaves become never ending lines and colour leads people to a peaceful place.

“It would be wonderful to inspire other artists through my works as well. Starting out 40 or so years ago I couldn’t afford canvas so used paper, sometimes rolls of lining paper from hardware shops. There is always a way as an artist. To anybody wanting to start drawing and painting, just use anything within your means. It’s all about having courage and being dynamic with your experimentation. My advice to anyone starting out, is don’t ever be afraid to make a first mark on a blank page. That first mark always leads you forward.”

The Harbour Arts Centre is accessible and family-friendly with parking nearby and adjacent toilets and café. The exhibition is open Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturdays from 9.30am until 4.30pm until Saturday 22 August 2026.

For more on what's on this summer at the HAC, visit the Harbour Arts Centre website.

Published: 10 July 2026