Thursday, September 03, 2020


Here is another recent painting entitled O, Deer.  Play on words suggested by my granddaughter Emma. 


It's been a while since I've posted on this blog.  I've actually set up a website for my artwork at spencermackayfineart.com.  I've also started a newsletter that you can subscribe to from the website.

I've been trying to paint more and decided to post a couple of my recent endeavors.  This painting is entitled: Solstice Canyon Sycamore and is painted in watercolor on 300# arches cold-pressed paper. 

I've recorded a time-lapse video of the creation of the painting with a voice over explaing what I am doing while I paint.

Here is the link to my Youtube video: https://youtu.be/WvSWKdXlQDk

I'll try to post more, please feel free to comment.


Tuesday, March 04, 2014

Virgin River Afternoon

Painted this from a visit to Zion National Park in Southern Utah.  Watercolor on 140lb Arches 14 x 22.

Thursday, February 27, 2014

This watercolor depicts a grove of oaks in Chesebro Canyon near my home.  There is something wonderful about the shady areas under the tree canopy on a hot summer day.  The canyon is good deer habitat and it is not unusual to see a few when hiking the trails.  Done on 140 lb Arches cold press, about 14 x 22.
I did the watercolor based on a shrine I visited in Kyoto, Japan a few years ago.  Done on 140 lb Arches cold press.  14 x 22.

Tuesday, August 13, 2013

Leo-Carillo-Beach

Leo-Carillo-Beach by Spencer Mackay
Leo-Carillo-Beach, a photo by Spencer Mackay on Flickr.

Done a while back on an October trip to Leo Carillo Beach near Malibu. Done plein air in Moleskine wc sketchbook.

Hobble Creek Barn

Hobble Creek Barn by Spencer Mackay
Hobble Creek Barn, a photo by Spencer Mackay on Flickr.

Watercolor sketch done on recent trip to Hobble Creek Utah. Done plein air in Moleskine sketchbook.

Sunday, September 09, 2012

Oak Path

Oak Path by Spencer Mackay
Oak Path, a photo by Spencer Mackay on Flickr.

Lone oak tree in Chesebro Canyon Park about a half mile from my home in Agoura Hills. Lucky to have such a magical place so close. Makes it easy to secape civilization on a moment's notice.

20 x 28 on 140 lb Arches WC paper.

Shadow Oak

Shadow Oak by Spencer Mackay
Shadow Oak, a photo by Spencer Mackay on Flickr.

20 x 28 wc painting of oak tree near my friend Taylor Driggs' house in Oak Park, CA.

Tuesday, August 21, 2012

East Lake, Hoover Wilderness, Sierra Nevada, California


Had a great time backpacking with two of my sons last week in the Hoover Wilderness on the East slope of the Sierra Nevada mountains.  The area is Northeast of Yosemite National Park near Bridgeport.  On Friday, we hiked from our camp at Green Lake to East Lake.  I brought along my watercolor stuff and this was done plein air from a rock on the shore of the lake looking North.  Arches paper about 8x10 in size.

Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Hanging-valley-Zions

Hanging-valley-Zions by Spencer Mackay
Hanging-valley-Zions, a photo by Spencer Mackay on Flickr.

This was a quick plein air water color sketch in my Moleskine. Zions is a wonderful park, so full of amazing scenes! Corwded on memorail Day though...:-(

Narrows-repaint

Narrows-repaint by Spencer Mackay
Narrows-repaint, a photo by Spencer Mackay on Flickr.

Tried a repaint of the plein air piece. Stronger values, but I liked the colors in the first one better.

Narrows-plein-air

Narrows-plein-air by Spencer Mackay
Narrows-plein-air, a photo by Spencer Mackay on Flickr.

Painted this last Sunday plein air in Zion's National Park

Saturday, April 21, 2012

Taylor's-Oak-After

Taylor's-Oak-After by Spencer Mackay
Taylor's-Oak-After, a photo by Spencer Mackay on Flickr.

Watercolor of a valley oak near my home. I reworked the foreground with pastel and saved an otherwise unremarkable painting.

Taylor-Drigg's-Oak-before

water color of a vallley oak near my home before I fixed it with soft pastel.

Hannah's-landscape

Hannah's-landscape by Spencer Mackay
Hannah's-landscape, a photo by Spencer Mackay on Flickr.

My 11 year old granddaughter painted this with only minimal coaching!

Saturday, February 25, 2012

Paramount-Ranch-Road

Paramount-Ranch-Road by Spencer Mackay
Paramount-Ranch-Road, a photo by Spencer Mackay on Flickr.

I reworked a plein air water color sketch I did a few months ago at Paramount Ranch. It was pretty dead, so I hit it with some pastels and in my opinion it was an improvement. I wish I thought to take a picture before I started, so youi could see the difference.

Washingtonia-palm

Washingtonia-palm by Spencer Mackay
Washingtonia-palm, a photo by Spencer Mackay on Flickr.

This is a pastel sketch I did today of a neighbor's tree.

Friday, November 18, 2011

M DESIGN on Industrial Design

M DESIGN on Industrial Design

This is an interview I did about a year ago for Grumbacher/Chart tape.  They were talking to people with art related careers and thought what we do might be interesting to the readers of Thalo, their web-based magazine.