Grant Macdonald
Into the Light
Grant Macdonald
Into the Light
August 31- September 7, 2018
detail on the cover: Autumn in the Rio Grande Gorge oil 24x36
225 Canyon Road, Santa Fe, New Mexico | 505.983.1434 | www.meyergalleries.com
Grant Macdonald moved from Texas to New Mexico in 1987 and expanded his artistic horizons to the dramatic vistas and sunsets of the Land of Enchantment. Born in Leesburg, Virginia, Macdonald was raised from age two on a ranch in west Texas. He began drawing at age six. His desire to become an artist was encouraged by his family, and he received his bachelors degree in Fine Art from the University of Mississippi. After serving a tour of duty in the Air Force, he received a Master of Fine Arts degree from the University of Texas at Austin, with a thesis on portraiture. His instructors in Austin included Everett Spruce and Ralph White. In 1971 he moved to Kerrville in the Texas Hill Country, where he gained widespread recognition for his landscapes and wildlife art. Since moving to northern New Mexico, the focus of his work has shifted toward the immense and varied subjects offered within that region. More recently, he has expanded his range of subject matter to include places that he and his wife, Sharon, love to explore, such as the coasty of New England, the cities and countryside of France, and also portraiture. Macdonald has participated in several major exhibitions, including the American Art Classic and the Western Heritage Sale in Houston, the Collector’s Sale in Dallas, and major auctions in the U.S. Macdonald has been featured in several notable art publications such as Art of the West and Southwest Art magazines. “What I seek to portray in my art is not so much what people see, but what they remember about a place. I am a realist, but I’m not attempting simply to document nature: I try to identify the essential qualities that elicit an emotional response and communicate that response through my work.”
Mountain Cascade oil 24x18
Grant Macdonald moved to the southwest over 30 years ago because he was drawn, as many artists are, to the drama and grandeur of northern New Mexico’s landscape. But through his paintings Macdonald ultimately seeks to portray nature’s most modest subtleties, such as the elusive movement of light in a glowing desert sunset or the serene translucence of a misty Maine morning. Grant Macdonald likens this unassuming painting approach to Shakespeare’s philosophy on acting, referenced in the third act of Hamlet. In this scene the players are told, “Be not too tame…but let your own discretion be your tutor… it is with this special observance that you overstep not the modesty of nature.” “I think that quote applies to anything in the arts in saying ‘don’t go over the top,’” says Macdonald of Shakespeare’s acting advice. “Good musicians, actors and painters should observe that.”
Sunset with Walking Rain oil 16x20
above: Sunset with City Lights Study oil 12x16 to the right: Sunset with City Lights oil 30x40
A Winter Pasture Near Taos oil 12x16
Just as an actor is taught not to exaggerate his lines, Grant Macdonald avoids excessive dramatization of the landscape in exuberant color or brushwork. Instead, his paintings reveal the softness of nature’s grandest gestures. “Nature does have a certain subtlety and modesty to it,” says the artist. “The color harmony and the lines that you see in mountains, trees or rocks have a very appealing visual impact. I believe our aesthetic sense is formed by our experiences in nature.”
A Moment in Paris oil 11x14
This is not to say that Grant Macdonald’s palette isn’t rich and complex; his Santa Fe sunset paintings, several of which will be on display for his one man show, have a vivid yet ethereal quality that transports us directly to their source. Pieces like Light at Evening Time or Evening Light in Velarde capture the setting sun’s more subtle moments through glowing architecture and bowing shadows. His solo exhibition, Into the Light reveals these nuances of light in a variety of ways, from the mountains to the coast, from hazy afternoons to golden evenings.
Evening Light in Velarde oil 20x30
Sunset Near Nambe oil 30x24
above: Study for Secrets of the Evening oil 12x16 on the right: Secrets of the Evening oil 36x48
While most of Macdonald’s subject matter is northern New Mexico, his fascination with light follows him on regular trips to the Maine coast and even Europe where shifted palettes and perspectives inspire new paintings. “I like variety and I don’t want to get stuck on any one thing,” explains Macdonald. “I try not to let one location influence the other too much, which is a good discipline for me.”
Stormy Sea on the Maine Coast oil 12x16
Territorial Bouquet oil 24x20
A Misty Morning in Maine oil 16x20
Moonlight oil 20x16
above:
Shadows and Reflections Study oil 11x14 Shadows and Reflections oil 24x30
on the right:
Painting at Ghost Ranch oil 18x14
Autumn in the Rio Grande Gorge oil 24x36
Winter Sunset oil 20x24
Into the Light
Grant Macdonald
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A Misty Morning in Maine A Moment in Paris A Winter Pasture Near Taos Autumn in the Rio Grande Gorge Evening Light in Velarde Light at Evening Time Moonlight Mountain Cascade Painting at Ghost Ranch Secrets of the Evening Shadows and Reflections Shadows and Reflections Study Stormy Sea on the Maine Coast Secrets of the Evening Study Sunset Near Nambe Sunset with City Lights Sunset with City Lights Study Sunset with Walking Rain Territorial Bouquet Winter Sunset
16x20 11x14 12x16 24x36 20x30 14x18 20x16 24x18 18x24 36x48 24x30 11x14 12x16 12x16 30x24 30x40 12x16 16x20 24x20 20x24
$4,800 $3,900 $3,900 $10,500 $7,200 $4,600 $4,800 $5,700 $5,700 $19,500 $8,400 $3,100 $3,900 $3,900 $8,400 $13,500 $3,900 $4,800 $6,400 $6,400
Grant Macdonald
Into the Light
Light at Evening Time
oil 14x18
August 31- September 7, 2018 Artist Reception: Friday, August 31, 2018 | 5-7pm
225 Canyon Road, Santa Fe, New Mexico | 505.983.1434 | www.meyergalleries.com