Pat Douthwaite was born in Glasgow in 1939. She began to study mime and modern dance with Margaret Morris, whose husband, J. D. Fergusson, encouraged her to paint. This important influence apart, she was self-taught. In 1958 Pat lived in Suffolk with a group of painters, including the Scots, Colquhoun and MacBryde, and William Crozier. From 1959 to 1988 she travelled widely, to North Africa, India, Peru, Venezuela, Europe, USA, Kashmir, Nepal, Pakistan, Ecuador and from 1969 lived part of the time in Majorca, more recently in various properties across the Scottish Borders. She died in July 2002 at Broughty Ferry.