ABOUT ME
Alison McIntosh prentice
Artist
I live in Kirkwall, which is located on the beautiful Orkney Islands and I am constantly inspired by the natural beauty that surrounds me. I am currently studying for a BA Fine Art at UHI Orkney. Having had the privilege of travelling worldwide, I have developed a keen interest in interpreting everyday observations and emotions through my artwork. I am passionate about the creative process, from the initial idea to its transformation into a finished piece of art on paper, board, or canvas. I keep a constant record of my ideas in notebooks and sketchbooks, and I always have a stream of new ideas waiting to be explored.
I have travelled to various places to find inspiration for my artwork including Florence, Rome, Barcelona, Vienna, Vietnam, New York, Paris, and St. Petersburg. One of the most significant experiences I had was visiting Cezanne's studio in Aix en Provence. Seeing the little plaster cherub bust and items from his paintings reminded me to paint what is around me and to stay true to my own experiences. As a tactile person, I touched Cezanne's coat hanging on a peg, and it made me feel connected to greatness. Another profound artistic awakening I had was while visiting the Picasso Museum in Barcelona. Even though Picasso wasn't one of my favourite artists, seeing the progression in his work and the scribbled early drawings was truly inspirational. It has also encouraged me to experiment more and paint from the heart. I am aware of the misogyny associated with Picasso, but during those times, many male artists I admire were also guilty of the same. Therefore, I am educating myself on female artists of that time such as Berthe Morisot, and the work of Margaret MacDonald Mackintosh, Charles Rennie Mackintosh's wife. Her work inspired me to try gesso works as I researched the history of this process. Charles Rennie Mackintosh is also a life-long inspiration of mine, most famously known for designing the Glasgow School of Art. I had the privilege of visiting this building many times before the devastating fires destroyed it. In April 2018, I even took a painting course with the GSA. Gaudi's architecture in Barcelona has also been a source of inspiration for me.
I believe in lifelong learning and took a workshop entitled ‘the artist studio’ run by artist Patricia Cain and her husband Sam in 2012. This was at the House for an Art Lover in Glasgow and covered the Gesso techniques of Margaret MacDonald Mackintosh as well as right brain drawing and gold leaf work. I had the privilege to work part time at The Hill House in Helensburgh, surrounded by the legacy of inspiration by Charles Rennie Mackintosh and Margaret MacDonald Mackintosh which brought synthesis into all my work and enabled me to deliver talks on the Sleeping Princess, an original gesso panel of Margaret MacDonald Mackintosh as well as delivering a Gesso Workshop at The Hill House in February 2020 just before Lockdown. In May 2023 I was invited to deliver a workshop at Mac at the Willow, the Willow Tearooms in Glasgow designed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh and again in 2024.
My artistic mission is to move people, to evoke emotions and ultimately experience joy.