Artist Lillias donates her paintings to Bothwell shop 22 April 2022 Since her retirement almost 30 years ago, Lillias Muir has become the most prolific of artists, creating dozens of paintings. Now, having moved from the family home to a smaller flat, Lillias generously donated more than 20 paintings to the Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland shop in Bothwell in the hope of raising vital funds for the charity. It’s a wonderfully generous gesture from the 88-year-old who recently relocated from High Blantyre to Hamilton. Lillias said: “I feel humbled that others enjoy my paintings as much as I do and would want to have them in their homes to appreciate.” A generous gesture Her daughter, Andrea Robertson, said: “Mum gave the family the opportunity to choose pictures from those she had painted, and she has taken a lot to her new flat. But even then, she is a prolific painter so she thought it would be a nice gesture to donate what is left to Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland. “The shop in Bothwell is quite new, and displaying the work of someone local is a nice way for the pictures to be appreciated and to raise money at the same time.” Lillias has always been creative, but only began painting after she retired. Andrea says her mum has always been incredibly creative, particularly at sewing, knitting and crocheting. She made her own wedding dress and the dress when her sister Margaret got married. Discovering her talent When Lillias retired, she continued to knit and sew but dabbled in other crafts such as cross stitch, embroidery and glass painting. Then she took an art class in Hamilton and instantly fell in love with painting, realising she had a talent with a brush. Andrea says: “Painting was an extension of all her creativity. She started with water colours and progressed into oils. She’s good at painting most things, but she’s very good at flowers. “She’s a bit of a perfectionist and always wants to recreate things exactly. That’s just her style.” Along with a couple of dozen of her paintings, Lillias also donated two easels that she no longer needs to the Bothwell Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland shop. Still painting, she is a member of Saffronhall Art Club in Hamilton. Gillian Hetherton, manager of the Bothwell boutique shop, says: “I’m so delighted Lillias chose Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland, not only to share her story with us but to share and donate her paintings.” If you’ve got a creative idea to raise money for Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland, visit our Do Your Own Thing page to find out more about fundraising for us: chss.org.uk/dyot