Madeline's 'birds' inspired by Caithness
Madeline Mackay (23), from Bower, is in the running for the David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation’s 2012 Wildlife Artist of the Year competition which takes place in London later this month.
Two of her entries – Birds and Egret – have been selected for the Young and Wild category at the exhibition which is being held at the city’s Mall Galleries.
Home schooled while living in Caithness, Madeline is in her final year at the Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design in Dundee, from where she will graduate in June.
Speaking about the two pieces of work that will be displayed at the exhibition, Miss Mackay said she took her inspiration for painting birds from growing up in the Far North, with her images deriving from a fascination with unpeopled landscapes.
“I represent the untamed and even alien qualities of these places through portrayals of the secretive creatures that inhabit them,” she said.
“Even though I wasn’t born in Caithness, I have lived there most of my life and in my works I took a lot of inspiration from my surroundings back home.
“Painting birds has always been one of my interests in art as I like the way they look, and growing up in the Far North there is a lot of different wildlife to look at.”
Over 150 works of art have been short-listed for this year’s competition, from established and exciting new artists. They will be on display and for sale in the main gallery, raising awareness and funds for critically endangered mammals supported by the David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation.
Miss Mackay learned she had been short-listed for the award in March and will be attending the ceremony later this month.
She hopes that when student days are over she can continue to impress people with her work.
“I was quite proud and very happy that two of my works have be recognised as good enough to be short-listed for the exhibition,” she commented.
“Becoming an artist is the only thing that I have ever aspired to be and when I graduate in the summer I intend to make a career out of my work.”
Wildlife artist and conservationist David Shepherd CBE, who first launched the art competition in 2008 to raise funds for and awareness of endangered wildlife, said he has been impressed by the high standard of entries in this year’s competition, describing Madeline’s category as particularly exceptional.
“The Scottish entries have been quite magnificent this year,” he said. “From the judges’ point of view the drama and technical excellence in all the work, and especially in the Young and Wild category was quite breathtaking.”
The winners of each category in addition to the Wildlife Artist of the Year will be announced at the opening night of the exhibition on Monday, May 21.