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Introduction

I'm a contemporary artist based in Edinburgh, Scotland. My last exhibition, “15 - Equinox" was part of the Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2024. You can read a review of it here; Exhibition Review.  Thanks to everyone that came into the Gallery for your continuing support, it is very much appreciated. 

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The working title for my next exhibition is called “Dyed in the Wool” and will be held at the Dundas Street Gallery in Edinburgh from Saturday 16th to Monday 25th August 2025.

 

I've categorised my work on the website into three basic categories; Figurative, Conceptual and Abstract. My figurative projects such as “The Herring Lassies” or “Harris Tweed” allow me to recreate lost Scottish historical traditions and my “Aspects of Edinburgh” series lets me weave stories with backgrounds and elements of my beautiful home city which is a continual source of inspiration.

 

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Abstract Technique

My current approach is to work with both hands simultaneously. Whether it be willow charcoal sticks, brushes or palette knives. This is how the paintings and drawings are executed. It feels like a duet of the hands, comparable to a pianist or drummer, both hands working independently without conscious effort yet together creating something in balance while both left and right brain structures are engaged.

 

Rhythm and energy are important facets of the drawing phase. This is where the hard lines are, the tectonic plates of the abstract narrative. The basis for all work that will follow.

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Abstract General Notes

My abstract art creation is influenced from both without and within. I am fascinated by the inexhaustible power of nature to produce an endless number of shapes and patterns in our ever-changing physical realm, presenting an infinite supply of material for each individuals unique interpretation.

 

From “Within”; the spiritual realm of the collective unconscious, the Tao and the Zen state where true creation arises. A bridge between the conscious and subconscious. My objective is to bypass the filter of the conscious mind and create externalised paintings and drawings from the unconscious.

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The Viewer

The objective of the abstract work is to present a framework for the viewer to make their own interpretation, their projection. The viewer is the master of the narrative sometimes consciously and others subconsciously.

 

Each canvas contains a potential adventure for the imagination, where at the macro level an inch of a painting, containing random marks, provides the building blocks of a unique personal story to each viewer.

 

Each painting can provide multiple interpretations which change with the viewers mood, insight or circumstance. Changes in the external light on the surface of the canvas can also effect the viewer's perception of the painting, especially when the paint is textured, thus continuously evolving.

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Davy Macdonald