Joan Mackay

Joan Mackay’s oils reflect flux, the constancy of change that is the world in which we live.  “Seasons change, colors turn, each day brings a new experience,” she says.  “Each work is a reflection of what is happening around me.”  But one should be careful to avoid provincialism when considering her use of the present progressive (e.g., happening), as the movement Mackay witnesses and depicts is occurring even in a forest of limbless trees, even in just the way hues of light can play upon the retina.  Depending on the subject matter, her brushwork varies from thick and bold to perfectly smooth and even.  Her use of color is such that it seems to come from a variety of palettes, displaying everything from rugged opacity to sun-bleached delicacy. 

Mackay holds a degree in fine art history from the University of Toronto, and she spent six years studying under internationally acclaimed artist Sirak Melkonian.  Her work has been featured in shows across Canada and on the East Coast of the U.S.