Alice Doreen Louise McIntosh

A heartfelt glimpse into Doreen’s paintings and writing, capturing moments of her creative spirit.

Alice Doreen Louise McIntosh (1934 - 2019), known by her family as Doreen, was born in Newcastle. Just before the start of the Second World War, her mother, Irene McLennan, following the premature death of her husband, moved with three of Alice's Aunts and, later, Alice's Great Aunt, Louise Dickinson, to north Surrey. Consequently, Alice grew up in a family of women, and this influenced both her writing and painting. Alice was awarded a Senior Exhibition scholarship to Sutton School of Art, and this was followed by her first job at Virgo Studios, an advertising agency in St Martin's Lane, London. It was during this time that she and her husband John, whom she had first met whilst at Art School, decided to marry. They started their marriage living in Woking, and Alice’s son John and eldest daughter Louise were born there. After ten years, they moved to Ventnor on the Isle of Wight, where her husband set up a boat-building business. Alice’s youngest daughter, Elaine, was born after they arrived. Her two daughters, international body cast sculptor Louise Giblin and painter Elaine McCracken, are both very accomplished artists, having exhibited their work in the UK and Overseas. John, her son, a retired Brigadier, is a consultant project manager for the NHS and was responsible for the planning and construction of several Proton Beam cancer centres in the UK.

Alice passed away unexpectedly in January 2019, leaving behind a large portfolio of work. Alice is buried in the Springwood Woodland Cemetery on the Isle of Wight.

Doreen’s career blended creativity and care, reflecting her passion for art and helping others.