Meet Joanna McDonough: artist and creator
Welcome to the world of Joanna McDonough Art.
Discover the inspiration, passion, and creative process behind the abstract acrylic art crafted in the heart of the Scottish Highlands.
Artists Biography
Joanna McDonough was born in Aldershot in 1967 and studied Art & Design at Bretton Hall College, specializing in screen printing and lithography. She graduated in 1989 with BA (Hons) in Art & Design.
After a career in commercial printing Joanna worked at the National Glass Studio where her interest was re-awakened and she began painting, drawing and printing once more. Relocating to Aviemore in 2014, Joanna set up her own studio at home on the Rothiemurchus Estate and mostly works from home.
Joanna's artwork is based on the local landscape and are an abstraction of colour and light, depicting more of her response to the beautiful and everchanging landscape surrounding her home in the Cairngorm Mountains.
As Artist in Residence at the Speyside Distillery since 2014 Joanna has undertaken many private projects including the Spirit of Speyside Festival in 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018. During 2019 Joanna participated in the Big Mix Festival in Aviemore which was organised by Speyside Distillery. In 2025 Speyside Distillery hosted the pretigous Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival and with Joanna created an event uniting both Whisky and Art in an evening never to be forgotten.
In 2021 Joanna undertook a commission from Diageo to paint Johnnie Walker’s iconic Striding Man which now stands majestically outside of the Cardhu Distillery, Moray, Scotland.
Joanna been inspired by the mighty Cairngorms – painting far vistas using acrylic, inks and pastels to capture the emotion and sheer enormity of these massive mountains in Scotland. Majority of these pieces are large scale works.
Joanna has a gallery in Bath Street, Glasgow at the Speyside Distillery Offices. Prints and originals can also be seen and purchased at The Snug in Aviemore. Many of her large scale paintings can also be viewed in the Mcdonalds Hotel in Aviemore and the Lochardil Hotel, bar and wedding room in Inverness.
The Kings Foundation
In 2014 Joanna completed a course at the Princes School of Traditional Arts (PSTA) in London studying Persian Biomorphic Design and will be undertaking future projects in conjunction with Harvey's of Edinburgh.
In 2015 Joanna donated and sold a piece of artwork at the Saatchi Gallery in London at a Charity Auction event organized in conjunction with the PSTA.
In 2018 she undertook a residency at the prestigious Dumfries House and has just completed a second residency in 2026.
Picture: Dumfries House, Kings Foundation
From inspiration to creation
"My artistic process is deeply rooted in the local landscape where I live and work. My studio, nestled at my home on the Rothiemurchus Estate just outside Aviemore, serves as my sanctuary. I work mainly intuitively, yet this intuition is profoundly informed by my journeys throughout the breathtaking Scottish Highlands, which constantly fuel my creative spirit."
The distinctive style of Joanna McDonough Art
"My artwork is characterised by its impulsive nature. I begin by creating order from the initial chaos of colour and mark-making I apply to the canvas. This process allows me to transform raw energy into cohesive, vibrant pieces that reflect a unique blend of spontaneity and considered composition."
"This ever-changing landscape has my heart and soul."
Joanna McDonough on the Highlands' influence