David McKay
Published Saturday August 1st, 2009
Fredericton-area artist says the surroundings he has grown up with and knows most intimately are his sources of inspiration
q Provenance?
a I was born in Fredericton, along the beautiful St. John River Valley, and I am still here.
q Why art?
a Being a professional artist seems to perfectly suit my particular set of talents and aptitudes. There are no other artist that I know of, in my family, but even as a young child, I liked to draw and look at paintings, pictures, et cetera. I like making images that reflect what I am thinking about or looking at and I like the uncluttered solitude of working alone.
q What was your breakthrough moment?
a My career seems to have taken a gradual climb rather than having any major breakthrough moments. Being included in major collections and being voted to membership in the RCA gave me pleasure and reassurance.
q What would you be if you weren't an artist?
a I seem to like making finely crafted things, particularly from scratch. If I wasn't an artist, I would like to make fine, one-of-a-kind furniture or something like that. I would also like to write songs, but I do not have that talent.
q What are you working on next?
a Gallery 78 in Fredericton is including me in an exhibition this October that will focus on the gallery artists who have been with Gallery 78 since it opened 33 years ago. In 2010, The Peter Buckland Gallery in Saint John is also planning an exhibition of my work.
q What place on earth inspires you?
a Whenever I travel, I am happy and excited to see things in other parts of the world. However, the surroundings I have grown up with and know most intimately inspire my artwork.
q What place in New Brunswick inspires you?
a The St. John River on a lush summer morning, when the sun is trying to break through the mist along the river valley - the water currents, the foliage, the fog are all so mysterious and wonderful.
q Secret indulgence?
a Cuban cigars.
q Your favourite hero of fiction?
a Robin Hood.
q What is your greatest fear?
a Drowning or suffocating. Sometimes when I think too much about it, I have to get up and walk around to shake those feelings off.
q Greatest joy?
a Simply being alive and well, productive and self-sufficient.
q Your favourite artists?
a I like Rembrandt, Eakins and Wyeth.
q Favourite painting by a New Brunswick artist?
a Stephen Scott did a self-portrait a few years ago that was very, very dark. It looked as though he was looking out from the shadows of a dark room. I think it perfectly captured the introspective side of his personality.
q What are you reading?
a David Adams Richards' Lines on the Water. I read this autobiographical account of his fishing adventures from the time he was a little boy when it was first published. Recently, I have had some experience fly-fishing, and I therefore find David's book much more relevant the second time around.
q What's on your iPod?
a I don't have an iPod but I like Sarah McLaughlin, Ian Tyson, Liam Clancy, Elvis, K.T. Oslin and Celtic music.
q What talent would you like to have?
a The ability to speak clearly and intelligently when upset or angry.
q What is greatest misconception about art?
a That it should be colourful and decorative; that one can work at something else for most of their life, and then retire to become an artist when it is financially convenient.
q Your most treasured possession?
a My health and my family.
q What is your motto?
a Create what is in your heart and mind.
q How would you like to die?
a Peacefully and painlessly, a long time from now.
q What is your favourite art museum?
a There are so many I haven't seen, but my favourite so far is the Philadelphia Museum of Fine Art. It has a wonderful collection of Thomas Eakins work, which I admire. It is an older building with lots of space and character. When I was visiting, it was not too crowded and I could get up close to the work for a good look without being bothered by security guards. Maybe they sensed that I was an artist, and knew that I would not touch.
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