Painters Mackay is a British-American designer, illustrator and printmaker. His life-long fascination with art began at a very early age, when he was drawn by a landscape drawn in pencil. He was fascinated by everything about it, including the colours and the story that the images tell. As a child, he attended the exclusive preparatory school run by Sir Peter Leley, the future publisher of Vogue magazine. Although some of Mackay’s work did not receive a chance to be shown in public, his illustrations for publications helped him gain a reputation.
Painter Mackay pursued several different careers throughout his life, working as an illustrator, designer, and printer. He illustrated for both English and American companies, and designed clothing for both genders. He worked on the design and printing side of the business but also made some fine paintings. One of his most famous paintings, entitled The Singing Butler, showed a Butler-like figure swinging a rattle while speaking in a low, gravelly voice. Another of his paintings, entitled Just Another Day, focused on a serene scene outside a farmhouse.
Painter Mackay’s work was shown in many prestigious galleries and museums around the world. His work received the widest acclaim from fellow British artist Sir Edwin Lutyens. When America beckoned him to come and paint, however, things changed. His path was now blocked due to the First World War. He was forced to change his focus once again, this time to photography.
As his career progressed, he gained further appreciation from both the arts community and the general public. His work became especially popular with the younger generation, who found it heartbreakingly realistic and deeply moving. Many people who have his work still hold the original copy of the painting somewhere in their home. A majority of his paintings sell for a great deal of money, despite the fact that most of them are unknown outside of the art world.
Painter Mackay lived a fascinating life. He married three times and loved his wife enough to give her one of his most famous paintings, Just Another Day. Though his career was stunted by the First World War, he never allowed the experience to dampen his creativity. He would work tirelessly hours at his painting machines, always being ready to turn a new leaf into another bright day.
In his later years, he developed a penchant for collecting things and founded a museum in his hometown to display these art collections. One of his prized acquisitions was a set of the largest and most detailed paintings of the Great Depression era. These portraits depicted everyday people doing ordinary tasks such as eating, drinking or washing up. Today, the work of this extraordinary painter lives in the archives of numerous colleges and universities throughout the world.