James MacDonald
Selected Works
Biography
JAMES MACDONALD
Born: Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, 1997
EDUCATION
2016 – 2017 University of Alberta, BFA program
2015 – 2016 Alberta College of Art and Design, BFA program
COMMISSIONS
2019 Alexander Lewis, oil painting
2019 Keith Rankine, oil painting
2019 Callum MacDonald, oil painting
2019 Cat at Window, oil painting
2018 Cat Sleeping, oil painting
2018 Kirkton Road House, oil painting
2018 Colbruach House, oil painting
2018 MacKinnon House, oil painting
2018 Catch of the Day, oil painting
2017 Portrait of Jim Wilson
2017 Portrait of Davie Graham, Clansman Rugby Club
2017 Portrait of Ian Nicholson
2017 Portrait of Reginald MacDonald
2017 Portrait of E. Hennig
2017 Portrait of T. Hennig
2017 Portrait of T. Blazejewicz
AWARDS
2017 Alberta Society of Artists Student Scholarship
EXHIBITIONS
2019 IASSIDD Exhibition Scottish Events Campus (SEC), Glasgow
2019 Still Life Exhibition, Scotland Art Gallery, Glasgow
2018 Lemond Gallery Christmas Show, Bearsden
2018 Lemond Gallery Christmas Show, Edinburgh
2017 Solo Show – Ritchie Mill, Edmonton
2017 Group Show – Latitude 53 Gallery
2016 University of Alberta Year Group Sculpture Exhibition
2016 Alberta College of Art and Design Annual Exhibition
2015 Edmonton City Hall Student Exhibition
2015 Strathcona High School Year End Exhibition
2015 Absurd Collective Gallery Show, Edmonton
2015 Edmonton Public School Board Art 30 Award Exhibit
Artist Statement
The sensational beauty of Alberta's landscape inspires me. I paint on large canvases with acrylic paint. My paintings capture sunlight and shadows with warm and cool colours, and describe the mountains and lakes with bold strokes. I focus on handling my paint strokes in ways to create movement and balance in my painting. I like to create unique compositions and capture the essence of my subject in a beautiful light.
I have always loved making art. As a child, my favourite activity was to draw and in high school I was introduced to other mediums such as painting and sculpture. I studied at the Alberta College of Art and Design and then in 2017 I transferred to the University of Alberta where I studied under Canadian Artist Roydon Mills. Roy was a very inspiring teacher for me. He challenged my ideas and supported my efforts to develop my art. That year I made many artworks, and at the end of the year I had a Solo Exhibition in one of Edmonton's heritage buildings.
In 2018 I travelled to Scotland to develop my painting and enrich my cultural understanding. My older brother Reg MacDonald studied sculpture at the Glasgow School of Art, and he introduced me to his friend, world-renowned artist Alexander Stoddart, FRSE, Queen's Sculptor in Ordinary in Scotland, and I assisted in Stoddart's studio. While in Scotland I also connected with a leader in Scottish landscape painting, Robert Kelsey, DA, MUniv, PAI, FRSE. Kelsey introduced me to oil painting and he encouraged me to develop my style of painting with oils.