WILLIAM MACKESY

I do not have “an” artistic practice. I paint what I find interesting, which results in a very varied body of work, figurative through to abstract, in a variety of mediums.

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I began as a painter of figurative images, seeking to get beyond the appearance and presentation of things to find an essence or resonance, my subjects ranging from the human form to light, to landscape, to "very still" lifes.

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While my work is still mainly based on contemplation of the real and physical, it now includes metaphorical depictions, abstract cut-outs and colour play, “pretty words” and forms of optical art. I mainly paint, usually in oils (and for my cut-outs, gouache), and also draw and make prints.

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I am currently creating a series of mainly abstract works using cut coloured paper, and painting some unusual landscapes and still lifes, including the same set-ups through different artistic eyes, which I have done successfully in recent years.

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My work is in various collections. I have exhibited in London, Oxford and elsewhere in the UK.

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 Biographical notes:

I was born in 1959 and grew up in Oxfordshire, UK. I painted and drew as a child but was put off at school. Being given watercolour and drawing materials for my 18th birthday restoked a dormant love, and I was drawing and painting and attending classes by my mid 20s.

 

I studied classics and law at Oxford University, then became a lawyer, working in London and Hong Kong. Since quitting the law, I have been painting and drawing, travelling and writing. I have studied at the Slade, Prince’s Drawing School and the London School of Painting and Drawing.
 
I am also developing the Walkopedia website (www.walkopedia.net) about the world's best walks and hikes.