John Mackie was born in Glasgow in 1953 and studied at the Glasgow School of Art under David Donaldson. From 1976-1977 he travelled and worked in the United States under a travelling scholarship from the Scottish Arts Council. His paintings are more than a mere record of light and shade; with his wonderfully rich palette, he can convey the heat and dust of a Provencal meadow, the bustle of a market or the lapping of a Venetian waterway.
John Mackie’s exhibitions include Walker Galleries (1996, 1995, 1994), Thompsons Gallery, London (1994), Royal Scottish Academy (1985, 1975) and galleries in Michigan and Detroit. Portrait commissions include Duncan Miller, Glasgow City Chambers (1975) and D M Kelly, Lord Provost of Glasgow (1982).
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.
