22/08/2026
I was so sorry to hear today that artist Joyce Borland has passed away.
I first knew Joyce way back in the 90s when I was curating exhibitions for Helensburgh Fine Arts and she was hugely encouraging to me.
We stayed in touch and, when it came to starting The Porch back in 2020, Joyce was absolutely the first person I asked to show with me - and I was thrilled when she said ‘yes’. One of her paintings - the first one shown here - was on the very first Porch Gallery Facebook post.
She showed at all the Porch exhibitions after that and was incredibly supportive and always interested in how it was going and what I was up to.
After one exhibition, she very kindly gave me a lovely painting of Kilcreggan village with the pier - the second image below - which I very much treasure.
Her paintings were a real firm favourite of Porch visitors, who loved the vivid colours and textures which she brought to her work - whether that be meadow flowers, sun-dappled woods, glorious rolling Scottish hills and jagged mountains, or fresh, blustery seascapes, as well as her many paintings of Tiree and Iona. Both were absolute favourite places of hers which she’d return to over and over in her work, never tiring of their unique characters. And she also loved to capture more local scenes, in and around Cardross, Glen Fruin and Helensburgh, always enjoying the beautiful area we live in.
We had lots of laughs and chats, she liked a wee G&T and we loved catching up on all the arty gossip. I will certainly miss her enormously and, if The Porch does ever return, it won’t be quite the same without her.
So very sad she’s gone and I send all my sympathies to her husband Ian, their daughters Catriona and Lorna, and all her family.
