My sister, Diana Hope, who has died of cancer aged 78, was a Scottish painter and teacher. She was an inspirational mentor to students and colleagues. As one said: “She saw something positive in everyone’s work – she was passionate about encouraging everyone at all levels.”
Her own work explored the beauty and mystery of domestic objects, environments and landscapes, external and imagined. They often featured her collection of eccentric and revered artefacts, invested with meaning as much as charm. A trip to India in 2005 resulted in a series of paintings around secret gardens and a major exhibition at the Open Eye Gallery in Edinburgh, one of nine shows of her work over the years.
