Biography

Mcwhirter was born in London, the daughter of a Welsh mother and a Scottish father. She grew up in North Wales and was educated at Summerhill, the experimental boarding school in Suffolk founded by AS Neill. Her talent was spotted by Oscar Kokoschka whilst she was still a schoolgirl and she moved to London in 1946 to become his pupil. She is best known for her sensitive, introspective portraits, often painted to commission, but she also paints landscapes and still-life.