The Society of Heraldic Art

Yvonne Holton BA(Hons) FGA DGA FRSA SHA 
Dingwall Pursuivant of Arms & Herald Painter - click image(s) to enlarge. 

I trained at the Edinburgh College of Art from 1977 to 1882 and specialised in jewellery and silversmithing.

After leaving the College, I worked full time for 7 years at the Assay Office in Edinburgh and ended up being their Assayer. As well as doing this, I also was involved in book illustration in the evenings. Wanting another full time job, I noticed an advertisement in the ‘Scotsman’ newspaper published on a Friday night in 1990 for ‘an illustrator’ to be commissioned by the Court of the Lord Lyon to carry out Letters Patent. The Assay Office had recently received their Letters Patent and I can remember looking at the framed document and thinking ‘I could do that!’ I applied and was interviewed along with another 6. This was an important interview for me and thankfully it went the way that I wanted it to.

I began my career in heraldry on the 6th of March 1990. At that time, I can remember that my biggest challenge was to master calligraphy and so I attended evening classes at Edinburgh College of Art to try and achieve this. Regarding painting, the hardest part was to come to terms with vellum and the consistency of watercolour paints. I am learning more and more about Blazon with each commission and it is one of my favourite interests.

Having spent more than 25 years at the Lyon Office, I am very grateful, as a freelance artist, to have a ‘home’ as well as regular work. Apart from carrying out Letters Patent, my interests lie in designing bookplates and carrying out Library paintings.

Address: 11 Mayburn Terrace, Loanhead, Midlothian, Scotland EH20 9EH
Email: yholton@freeuk.com