John Mackie
When, as a boy of nine, attempting to put paint on canvas I was so excited so desperate to convey my appreciation of the vibrant colour that seemed to be all around me.
It’s still the same today, 41 years later. My brushes have evolved from the matchsticks that I chewed into little brush-like ends but that same child-like excitement makes me shiver when I see a Venetian Blue or a shimmering light dancing through some trees.
I served my apprenticeship on the streets of Glasgow, where I grew up, and the river Clyde was my constant inspiration; Many’s the time I would be down there painting Jamaica Bridge at night with my Miners torch on my head so as to see the colours. This practice has continued through the years with night studies of Paris, Venice and Edinburgh. I owe a great deal to the old masters, the French Impessoinists, the Scottish Colourists and to David Donaldson. David was the head of drawing and painting at the Glasgow School of Art and I benifited from his great wisdom and eperience. He was a magnificent Portrait painter and was the Queens Limner for Scotland. He gave me my first official Portrait comission when in 1975 I painted the senior Magistrate of Glasgow (Counc. Gerald McGrath).
I’m not going to ramble on about the techniques of painting - I’d just like to say that I feel privileged to be able to make a living as a professional Artist and I will always strive to paint with feeling, passion and honesty.
