Mackenzie Bell spent his boyhood in Exmouth, Devon. A varied early career included crewing on board The Queen Mary & Elizabeth, working at an Antique Auction House in San Francisco & as Manager of The Zwemmer Gallery in Covent Garden. He studied Fine Art at Exeter, Brighton & Central St. Martins, London.
He taught Art across the globe from Los Angeles to Sydney & was Head of Art at St. Paul's College in Sussex. In 1988 he left teaching to focus on his painting & a passion for landscape garden design. His work has been featured in several publications & on television. |
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In 2004 Northwood Farm near St. Neot, Cornwall was acquired & with his partner there began a massive 3 year project to develop this 4 acre water garden.Taking Monets "Giverney " as a source of inspiration, streams were re-diverted, ponds & lakes excavated, islands were clothed with huge granite boulders , waterfalls & bridges were built. Over 1500 specimen trees & shrubs were planted.
Mack embarked on lecture tours & hundreds of visitors enjoyed visiting this magical haven. Mack calls it his ever evolving 3 dimensional organic painting. ( see website photographs )
Mack embarked on lecture tours & hundreds of visitors enjoyed visiting this magical haven. Mack calls it his ever evolving 3 dimensional organic painting. ( see website photographs )
Also : http://www.cornwallgardenstrust.org.uk//The story of Northwood
An Art Gallery & studio were built within the grounds & Mack has progressively established himself as one of Cornwall's prominent painters exhibiting in several solo & group exhibitions including atThe South West Academy.In 2008 he won the Barclays premiership Art International award.
His paintings feature in private collections in Europe, Canada & The U.S.A.
An Art Gallery & studio were built within the grounds & Mack has progressively established himself as one of Cornwall's prominent painters exhibiting in several solo & group exhibitions including atThe South West Academy.In 2008 he won the Barclays premiership Art International award.
His paintings feature in private collections in Europe, Canada & The U.S.A.
In the Artists own words...
" For me the fundamentals of good practice are rooted in a solid understanding of Drawing. In fact I tend to "draw" with my brush & love to delineate form & rhythm in this way.Iam constantly looking for new sources of inspiration based upon direct personal experience.I visited the fragrant lavender fields of Provence & recently to Pacific Grove CA., to observe the Monarch butterflies. Both visits culminated in a series of paintings .I often paint for up to 8 hours each day which is emotionally & visually exhausting.I can be ruthlessly self-critical & destroy a painting I may have worked on for 3 weeks. .If the work is progressing well Iam on a real high but if it flounders it can reach quite a low point.My work is steadily moving away from descriptive realism to Abstraction.Here ,the process can be profoundly difficult with multiple alternatives.It is then a question of knowing which direction to take in searching for my ultimate goal."
" Wonderfully sensitive work as the Artist explores the linear qualities of structure & texture with audacity & maturity. Mackenzie's paintings are inspirational as they assault our senses with astonishing vitality, energy & colour.".........Art critic, Western Morning News
