A centre of excellence to advance research into how ageing affects cognition, and how mental ability in youth affects health and longevity. CCACE is part of the Lifelong Health and Wellbeing Initiative funded by the UK Research Councils.

“Fionna has begun working with a scientific team at the University of Edinburgh to produce a series of portraits of research participants in a major study of ageing, and the scientists studying them. Fionna has become fascinated with the Lothian Birth Cohorts 1921 and 1936, two unique groups who sat the same intelligence test at the age of 11 and are now helping scientists understand how the brain ages.

In order to develop the project, Fionna has recently become a University of Edinburgh Knowledge Exchange Fellow, and embarked on a pilot project. To build up an understanding of the research, she has already completed a portrait of Professor Ian Deary (pictured left with Fionna), the scientist who leads the study. Fionna has also begun to draw and paint the Lothian Birth Cohort participants, aged in their 70’s and 90’s. In addition Fionna and Professor Deary are applying for additional funding for Fionna to become the Lothian Birth Cohorts Artist in Residence. If successful they hope to develop a major exhibition of the pieces. There has already been interest from major galleries and from Age UK, who sponsor the Disconnected Mind project on the Lothian Birth Cohort 1936.”

Dr Robin Morton

• www.ccace.ed.ac.uk

Your Paintings is a website which aims to show the entire UK national collection of oil paintings, the stories behind the paintings, and where to see them for real. It is made up of paintings from thousands of museums and other public institutions around the country.

The site includes a slideshow of 13 of Fionna’s paintings.

• BBC Your Paintings: Fionna Carlisle

The portrait was unveiled in Xania,Crete in Greece in October 2012.It was started in August 2011 and painted over many sessions in Xania during summer and winter. The Greek unveiling was a very happy event with many friends from all over. The painting is now ‘home’ in London where we await the London unveiling party.

Fionna is joined by her sponsor Paul Warwick, ConocoPhillips President UK and Africa, at the opening of Energy: North Sea Portraits at the Scottish Parliament in June 2011. The reception also highlighted the work of the charity Spinal Injuries Scotland of which Fionna is a patron. The 25 portraits included leading figures in the history of the UK oil industry and was previously shown at the Scottish National Portrait Gallery, the European Parliament in Brussels and at the headquarters of the French oil company Total E & P in Paris.

• Visit the Spinal Injuries Scotland website

Unveiling of Sir Ken & Lady Noreen's portrait

The achievements of renowned scientists Sir Ken and Lady Noreen Murray were celebrated when Fionna’s double portrait of them was unveiled in the Raeburn Room by Sir Tim O’Shea, Principal of the University of Edinburgh, in March 2009. Sir Ken is best known for his pioneering work in developing the vaccine against Heptatitis B and as the founder of the Darwin Trust of Edinburgh.

Lady Noreen held the chair in molecular genetics at the university until her retirement in 2001. Their portrait, commissioned by the university, hangs in the Old College.

Fionna discusses her work with Camilla, the Duchess of Rothesay, after the completion of a painting with a difference for the charity The Elephant Family. The charity asked Fionna to paint a sculptured crocodile which was displayed alongside an array of other animal works in Princes Street Gardens,Edinburgh, for Jungle City during the summer of 2011.

The inspiration for Fionna’s crocodile came from her birthplace of Caithness and included images of thistles and rugged seascapes. The crocodile took more than three weeks to paint in the Dovecot Studios in Edinburgh. Coincidentally, Fionna discovered that there is a stuffed crocodile on show in Wick Library, a fact which amused Camilla.

• Visit the Elephant Family website

A portrait of the late Rt. Hon. Robin Cook was unveiled yesterday by the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Michael J. Martin MP. The reception was  attended by Mrs Gaynor Cook, Mr Christopher Cook and Mr Peter Cook.

Robin Cook

The portrait is an important new acquisition for the House of Commons Collection. Painted by Fionna Carlisle during the months before Robin Cook’s death in August 2005, it depicts the Parliamentarian informally, with his two dogs “Tammy” and “Tasker”, named after the Scottish whiskies Tamdhu and Talisker. He chose to wear his racing clothes and asked the artist to include in the background two prominent Edinburgh references, Musselburgh Racecourse and the Firth of Forth. By his hand is a copy of Hansard, dated 17 March 2003, the day he resigned from the Cabinet over the decision to go to war with Iraq.

Hugo Swire MP, Chairman of the Speaker’s Advisory Committee on Works of Art, said

“We are delighted to have obtained this important picture for the Collection. Robin Cook was a Parliamentarian whose reputation grew over the years and it is quite proper that we should have an image of him. I am certain that this iconographic portrait will become one of our most popular images with the public”

Fionna Carlisle said

“He was a joy to paint – a challenging and rewarding sitter, who was very generous with his time. I found him witty and easy company and he took a keen interest as the painting progressed. He wanted his smile in the portrait to show a happy and contented man, which is how he felt”

• Originally from: www.parliament.uk
• More from: www.caithness.org