About Aine Divine

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BBC Star Portraits Aine Divine

As far back as I can remember I've always loved painting and drawing people's portraits. I have very early memories of sketching my brothers and sisters as they lounged around at home . During my years in college I was lucky enough to have good friends who spent long uncomfortable hours posing for me . My finished paintings at that time were usually oil on canvas , although my box of watercolours were never far away and most of my sketches and preliminary drawings were done in this medium.

Painting in watercolour is very satisfying , you have the freedom to splash the colour on letting it run and drip , but also the potential to achieve great detail and intricacy . On graduating from college in 1991 , I rented a small room over a taxi company to use as a studio.

The following three years a selection of my portraits were short-listed for the Arnotts National Portrait competition , and in 1993 I won an Arnotts award for my oil painting of Jack Russell . Although things were going well I needed the security of a regular income . In 1995 I went back to college to study for my art teaching diploma . Soon after qualifying I met my future (Scottish) husband on holiday in Greece . A year later I moved to Edinburgh to live and in 1997 my first daughter was born.

Continuing to paint , I soon began teaching art part time at the local high school . I rented a studio\gallery with an artist friend and we had regular exhibitions . When my second daughter was born in 2003 I rented a studio closer to home in Roslin