Jennifer Mackenzie

Jennifer Mckenzie is a Scottish artist who lives and works in the beautiful setting of Golspie, Sutherland. She graduated from Glasgow School of Art in the 1970s, where she was taught and influenced by great artists such as David Donaldson, Duncan Shanks and Leon Morocco. It was here that Jennifer was allowed the freedom to hone her artistic abilities and creative talent.

Following graduation she taught Art and Design in schools in Lanarkshire, Inverness and Sutherland. Since her retirement from teaching in 2001, Jennifer has been painting professionally and exhibiting her art in numerous galleries across Scotland. 

Jennifer has exhibited with Gallery Heinzel for more than 25 years and was the subject of a solo exhibitoin of more than 40 paintings in spring 2019. 

About Jennifer’s paintings

Ever since her days at Glasgow School of Art, Jennifer has been passionate about still life compositions, with flowers often the main subject matter. She relies on shop-bought flowers over the winter months, raiding her husband's borders over the summer. 

Jennifer’s paintings are a very personal response to what is around her, in terms of colour, light and space. Before creating her composition, she considers the colours she will use very carefully, then mixes them on the palate rather than on the canvas. Her paintings have a remarkable texture. She applies the paint with a palette knife wiping the canvas with a rag if she feels that the texture is becoming too repetitive.

For Jennifer, the biggest challenge is deciding whether a painting is complete. She admits that once she starts footering, that’s when it’s usually time to stop.