Biography
I was born in Edinburgh, and graduated in printmaking from Gray’s School of Art in Aberdeen and the Slade School of Fine Art (University College London). A year’s printmaking Scholarship from the Mexican Institute of Fine Arts allowed me to live and practise in Mexico City, where I worked in an experimental printmaking studio and was profoundly influenced by the culture and colours which surrounded me. I remained for 3 more years in Mexico.
On my return, I taught art to adults for many years in Edinburgh, Spain and throughout Scotland, but it was through training as a Scottish Tourist Guide (Blue Badge) that I acquired a deep interest in, and the privilege of learning about Scottish geography, geology and archaeology over 20 years of interpreting the landscape for visitors. This has provided a solid base for my art practice, and has led me to be the tutor of an annual painting trip called “Sense of Place” to Lewis and Harris, which has run to capacity every year since 2016.
I now work full time on my art practice, dividing my time between my studio at Coburg House in Leith, and the workshop at Edinburgh Printmakers.
My work can be seen at regular Open Studios at Coburg House Studios, Edinburgh, during the first weekends of August and December, in the Coburg Shop, and at the shop and Members’ Gallery at Edinburgh Printmakers.
Links
Please feel free to browse these associated sites:
wildatartscotland.com/small-group-art-holidays-in-scotland
www.coburghouse.co.uk/artists#/nicky-sanderson/
edinburghprintmakers.co.uk/artists/243-nicky-sanderson/
I am a member of the following members associations:
www.s-s-a.org/our-members/nickysanderson/profile/
www.visualartsscotland.org/artist-biography/nicky-sanderson
Photo by Geraldine Benson
CURRICULUM VITAE
Selected Exhibitions
2026
Towards Abstraction
Coburg House Gallery, 5-person show
Linked by Ink
Eion Stewart Fine Art, Stonehaven, printmaking exhibition
Treasures of the Deep
St Andrew’s Botanic Gardens, seaweed exhibition
Our Shared World
Edinburgh Printmakers Members’ Show
2025
Intertidal Traces
Solo exhibition of screen prints at Rising Tide, Portobello, Edinburgh
Print Room
Invited artist for the Print Room show at Coburg House Gallery
National Nature Reserve Isle of May Lighthouse, Firth of Forth
Invited artist
Tracings
4-person show for Live Borders at The Robson Gallery, Halliwell’s House Museum, Selkirk
Festival of Printmaking
Stirling, selected exhibitor
Artwalk Porty
Art House exhibitor
Dòchas
Edinburgh Printmakers Members’ Show, joint installation with Mary Walters
2024
Intertidal Traces
Solo exhibition at the Scottish Arts Club, Edinburgh
Artwalk Porty
Art House exhibitor
Winter Printmaking Show
Whitehouse Gallery, Kirkcudbright
2023
Journey
Edinburgh Printmakers members’ show
Resident Artist
Porto & Fi Bistro, Edinburgh
Four Stories
Group of four show, Coburg House Gallery, Edinburgh
Artwalk Porty
Art House exhibitor
Tidelines
2-person show, Whitespace Gallery, Edinburgh
2022
SSA 30 x 30
Members’ show
Kinship
Edinburgh Printmakers members’ show
Small Is Beautiful
Coburg House Gallery, Edinburgh, featuring small paintings on marine chart
Artwalk Porty
Solo Art House
5-Person Show
Coburg House Gallery, featuring work based on the islands of the Firth of Forth
2021
Uig Open
Online show curated by Hulabhaig, Isle of Lewis
Solace
Edinburgh Printmakers members’ show
Perspectives from Home
3-person show at Whitehouse Gallery, Kirkcudbright
2020
Flow
Online show with Visual Arts Scotland
2019
Artwalk Porty
Solo Art House
Encompassed, New Work
Group show at The Union Gallery, Edinburgh, featuring paintings and collages inspired by recent travel in Myanmar
2018
Distilled
Group show at the Art Club Gallery, Edinburgh
Deluge
Group show at Edinburgh Printmakers
2017
A Land Unfolding
Coburg House Art Gallery
Edinburgh Festival
Group show with Encompassed
Winter Exhibition
The Meffan, Forfar
2009 – to date
Coburg House Gallery, Leith, Edinburgh
Christmas Shows and Open Studios twice yearly
2013
The Steading Gallery, Kelso
1995
Aberdeen Art Gallery, Gray’s School of Art Former Students
1985–1986
Galería Tlalpuente, Mexico City
1984
Greenwich Theatre Art Gallery, London
Solo show
1984
Anglo Mexican Institute, London
Solo show
1983
Open Eye Gallery, Edinburgh
Solo show
1982
Instituto de Bellas Artes, Mexico City
Solo show
1980
The Henderson Gallery, Edinburgh
Collections
Work is held in the collection of Art in Healthcare, Scotland, and in private collections including:
Dr Andrew Brownlow, leader of the Scottish Marine Animal Strandings Scheme
Colin Sutherland, Lord Carloway, formerly Lord President of the Court of Session and Lord Justice General
Estate of Alistair Darling, Lord Darling of Roulanish
Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen
Private collections in France, Spain, the USA and Mexico
Awards & Residencies
2025
Winner of the St Cuthbert’s Mill Paper Prize at the Printmakers of Scotland Festival, University of Stirling
2024
Awarded Professional Membership of Visual Arts Scotland
2022–2023
Peer Mentoring awarded by the Society of Scottish Artists
2007
1-month painting residency at Catterline, “The Watchie” studio
1981–1982
1-year scholarship from the Mexican Institute of Fine Arts to study Experimental Printmaking in Mexico City
1976
Painting prize, visit to San Gimignano, Tuscany
Academic Resumé
2016–2017
Critical Professional Development Course, Leith School of Art
1994–1996
Calligraphy studies, Edinburgh College of Art
1979–1981
Postgraduate Higher Diploma in Fine Art (Printmaking), Slade School of Fine Art, London
1975–1979
Diploma in Art (Printmaking), Gray’s School of Art, Aberdeen
Teaching Experience
2015–present
Part-time tutor for Wild at Art Scotland Ltd, luxury creative holiday company
2015–2020
Scottish Art History trainer for the Scottish Tourist Guides Association (STGA)
Print and collage tutor for Arran Visual Arts, Isle of Arran
2004–2010
Joint director of a small art tourism business called artEscapes. This involved organising accommodation and itineraries, as well as art tutoring and demonstrating abroad and in the UK, often with a strong historical or cultural connection.
1995–2006
Teacher of Art (drawing, painting and calligraphy) in Community Education (20 hours per week class contact time, September to May) for Edinburgh City Council
2002–2003
Summer course art teacher at George Watson’s College, Edinburgh
Other Qualifications
2008
Qualified as an art specialist guide to the Contemporary Art Collection in the Scottish Parliament
2005
Qualified as a tour guide in the Scottish Parliament
2001–2020
Professional Member of the Scottish Tourist Guides Association: Blue Badge Guide for Scotland, guiding in English and Spanish, with a particular interest in art, design and architecture
1995
Advanced Diploma in Spanish as a Foreign Language (DELE, University of Salamanca); fluent Spanish speaker