Mac McDonald Artist

A classic sailing yacht - SV Espanola, pictured off Anglesey. Again, an A3 sized watercolour with gouache . This particular yacht was built in 1902, and is still sailing today.

"Ships that pass". watercolour/gouache, about A3 size. So I was really trying here to capture the reflected light down on the wet sails from a cloud at sunset. Evening coming on. But what is that distant passing ship? Friend or foe? It should be noted at this point that I am a huge fan of the book covers painted by Chris Mayger, for the old Bolitho series by Alexander Kent. A favourite read in my youth, many years ago.

"Hi Mum! Its me!" Yes, well, I'm actually in this one too. The orange dot on the small boat is my head. And yes, I dis actually paint this, partly as therapy to get over the trauma of it, and partly to give this to the lifeboat crew as a thank you for rescuing me. So this was about 6.30am on the way back to Alderney, with the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (UK sea rescue). This is (was) the 'RNLB St Louis Marchesi of Round Table', actually a copy of the 1960s USCG open lifeboat, if it seems familiar to US viewers. Southerly gale Force 10. Waves up to 22 feet high. Oil on Canvas - about 24" x 36" Currently on display in the Alderney lifeboat house.

More pastel practice.

And from the warm studio to the cold dark of winter. A Brixham trawler (actually Yarmouth registered) hauling in the beam trawl just after sunrise. This is a small A4 sized watercolour. Watercolour is great for the moody seascape.

More life drawing - pastel on paper, probably at a public class years ago. I hate these classes, as they are always done under ghastly strip lights which make the models look like corpses. Fun pose, though.

Venice! JMW Turner! Well, no, but nearly. Following a trip to Venice, I was inspired to do this Turner-esque piece. "View of St Giorgio Maggiore, with Japanese tourists". Sharp eyes might also notice a commercial tug passing behind the boat, heading up the Giudecca to the port. If its not obvious, I bloody love Turner.

I did this so long, maybe 40 years, but it still holds up. Pastel on sugar paper. Reclining nude.

Thats me. In the small boat. Being towed head first into a Force 10 storm, southward towards Alderney. And yes, the tiller came away from the rudder head, and yes, the idiotic outboard engine twisted off its bracket, only being saved by the safety chain. Why yes, I did miss the accurate weather forecast. How did you guess? The Lifeboat was the extravagantly named 'St Louis Marchesi of Round Table', a Waveney class open lifeboat (as per US Coastguard). August 1996, to my memory.

No, this isn't Euan Gryffud. But if you want to "ship" him with someone, feel free. Pastel on sugar paper.

Even the teensiest and quickest sketch can capture the essence. I remember this being the size of an iPhone. Based on a small yacht breaking out its anchor into a squall in Starehole Bay, Salcombe, Devon.

Another redhead. Purely accidental. Quick bit of life sketching. Pastel on sugar paper, if I remember correctly.

Teeny tiny watercolour. I must have done this 55 years ago now, back when I had ambitions to be the best marine artist in history. Sadly, life had other plans, which was maybe a good thing.

Look out! Its a Redhead. Pastel on paper. Yes, I don't do just boats and seascapes.

"Three Musketeers". Yeah well, who doesn't love dolphins?

It looks lovely, but we hadn't slept all night. Ahead lies a big mooring buoy. Tied up, had breakfast, slept till noon. Port Erin, Isle of Man.

So this is me, in the black woolly hat. Heading north near Dubh Artach light. And yes, we did break something. And the yacht was built in 1902, as a racing yawl, and is still going.