Margaret Trent was born in Edinburgh, where she graduated with a degree in Biological Sciences. She now lives on Bainbridge Island, a 30 minute ferry ride from the US city of Seattle.

Drawing inspiration from nature her focus is on botanical subjects, but Margaret also enjoys drawing birds. As the daughter of an archeological illustrator she learned to observe the tiny details of a subject early in life. Now a member of the American Society of Botanical Artists and the Association of British Botanical Artists, Margaret is also on the Board of the Pacific Northwest Botanical Artists. She is a member of the Guild of Natural Science Illustrators and the Colored Pencil Society of America. Her preferred medium is colored pencil on drafting film.

Margaret exhibits regularly with all these groups and has had a few small solo shows at a local venue on Bainbridge. In 2020, her work, Rhododendron cinnabarinum was accepted into the Florilegium collection at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh.