‘Badger’ - 20x20” Oil on Canvas

The Pet Portraits of

rory mackay

London-born Rory Mackay studied Fine Art in Florence, Italy, where he fell in love with the old master’s style of painting. Upon return to the UK, he enrolled at the prestigious Central Saint Martin’s College of Art and Design in London where he broadened his skill set with mixed media painting and printmaking. Combining his passion for animals with his talent for painting, Mackay began creating expressive animal artworks that soon saw him taking commissions from clients worldwide. The artist’s early work was predominantly contemporary, blending raw energetic brush strokes with vibrant swathes of color and mixed mediums such as charcoal, oil bar and encaustics. Carrying that vibrancy and energy forward into the more traditional commissioned portraits for which he has become known, Mackay’s oil portraits of pets are a style very much unto their own. Rich, lavish oils applied in a blend of bold and delicate brush strokes bring out a depth of character in his subjects that captivates the eye. Often incorporating a juxtaposed background that gives a nod to the pop-art of the 1960’s, the artist funnels the viewer’s attention to the subject, filling the canvas with the life and soul of a pet. Rory Mackay is a proud supporter of The Animal Medical Center of New York City, to whom a percentage of his proceeds are donated to help continue their tireless work. For information on commissioning a portrait of your pet, please email: studio@rory-mackay.com

The artist in front of The Fanjul Five Labs

Early works Taking a bold and avant-garde approach to some early animal works, Mackay fully explored the boundaries of space, color and composition in a series of attention-grabbing paintings created for his first solo exhibition in London in 2005. Using what he learned from two subsequent years of explorative painting, he began applying it to more traditional compositions and mediums in his oil portraiture studies. The vibrancy of color and texture remains ever-present in his commissioned works today, with an added sophistication and maturity to the execution. Top left: ‘Did you say food?’, 2005 - 36x60” - Oil, acrylic and charcoal on canvas Bottom left: ‘Murphy’, 2006 - 36x60” - Acrylic, oil bar and charcoal on canvas Top right: ‘Hunting Dogs’, 2008 - 24x30” - Oil on canvas

Client installation: Rocco - 36x48” - oil and mixed acrylic mediums on canvas

Client installation: Rocco - 36x48” - oil and mixed acrylic mediums on canvas

Rocco - 36x48” - oil and mixed acrylic mediums on canvas

Magnus and Minnie - 24x30” - oil on canvas

Client installation: Magnus and Minnie - 24x30” - oil on canvas

Client installation: Magnus and Minnie - 24x30” - oil on canvas

Sophie - 18x24” - oil on canvas

Nacho & Panchito - 24x30” - oil and mixed acrylic mediums on canvas

Jim and Kristy Clark’s Schnauzers - 30x30” - oil and mixed acrylic mediums on canvas

Tarka & Mr Fox - 18x30” - oil on canvas

The Five Fanjul Labs - 48x60” - oil on canvas

Solo Exhibition at Antony Todd Mackay was invited by interior designer Antony Todd to exhibit a selection of private commissions at his downtown New York showroom. Mackay exhibited seven different artworks commissioned by clients from Palm Beach and New York, all of whom generously loaned their paintings for the show. Exhibited client portraits included: Ivana Trump’s ‘Tiger’, Mr. and Mrs. Jim Clark’s ‘Three Schnauzers’ and Mr. and Mrs. Pepe Fanjul’s ‘Five Labradors’

With Mr. and Mrs. Pepe Fanjul

With Mr. and Mrs. Chris Meigher

With Antony Todd

‘Track Winner’ - 78x96” - Oil and Mixed Mediums on Canvas

Riccio - 20x30” - oil on canvas

Goldens by the Pool - 18x24” - oil and mixed acrylic mediums on canvas

Client installation

In Perspective

A typical theme running through much of Mackay’s work is the unique compositional perspectives he employs. Often comical, and always endearing, his eye for capturing the ‘quirky and cute’ in a pet’s

character has become a trademark quality for the artist.

You da Fox! - 30x30” - oil on canvas

Penny - 16x20” - oil on canvas

Safina - 18x24” - oil on canvas Just me, my ball... - 24x30” - oil on canvas

Pluto - 24x24” - oil on canvas

Zak - 18x24” - oil and mixed mediums on canvas

Minnow - 18x24” - oil and mixed mediums on canvas

Casper - 18x24” - oil and mixed mediums on canvas

Shamardal - 22x32” - oil on canvas

Horse Portraits Beyond ‘mans best friend’, Mackay also proves a formidable talent in capturing the elegant qualities inherent to equine subjects. Horse portrait clients have included the Prime Minister of Dubai and Godolphin global racing magnate, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, for whom Mackay painted the multi-award winning ‘Shamardal’ - a13yr old stallion, stabled at Darley in Ireland, where Mackay was flown to obtain original source images for his portrait.

Vizcaya - 22x30” - charcoal on paper

The Letterpress Pet Stationery™ LineExclusively by Rory Mackay

THE BOX SET: THE PERFECT GIFTThe Rory Mackay boxed notecard sets are a unique range of beautifully presented, thick stock cards featuring one-of-a-kind illustrations of your favourite breed in a selection of different colours.

The notecards are comprised of a duplexed blend of classic Mohawk Superfine writing and Colorplan reverse, resulting in a sophisticated weight of 200lb cover notecards.

The sets come in quantities of 10x cards and envelopes in presentation boxes with ‘blind embossed’ signature paw prints on the envelope flaps.

Various breed designs available

NEW! Gold Embossed Soft Touch Leather NotebooksThese elegant additions to the Rory Mackay range of illustrated pet products feature genuine duplexed leather, bound in a unique, patented semicircular spine that allow maximum robustness to the books which may be rolled into a tube without any damage to their structural integrity.

Perfect for daily use and portability in a handbag or pocket, these 9x14cm notebooks have 240x ruled pages for making everyday notes and reminders.

Currently available in 6x different designs and colours

NEW! Folded Greeting Cards

Available as either cellophane packaged singles or box sets of 8x cards and envelopes - these illustrated greeting cards use the same elegant Mohawk Superfine card stock as our duplexed letterpress cards.

Featuring whimsical plays on popular breeds and their owners, these designs are sure to always raise a smirk.

Bespoke Designs

Personalised Pet StationeryUnique to the discerning pet lover, Rory Mackay proudly

presents his Bespoke Pet Stationery line.

Working from original photographs of your pet, the artist will hand-illustrate a custom design to your specifications. You have the opportunity to choose your preferred font, colour

and placement of illustration and personal details. These are then letterpressed into the Rory Mackay signature stock.

For the pet lover who has everything: Rory Mackay Bespoke

Celebrity Work:Ivana Trump

Rory Mackay was commissioned by Ivanka Trump to create, as a gift for her mother, Ivana, a portrait of her beloved Yorkshire Terrier, Tiger as well as boxed sets of Bespoke Pet Stationery in 2x different colors. The artist was invited to Mrs Trump’s Manhattan home to capture the working image of Tiger. Upon delivery of the completed package, the socialite proclaimed, ‘Darling, you captured him exactly!’

Celebrity Work: Jane GoodallRory Mackay was honoured to have been approached by the Jane Goodall Institute to create a complete invitational package for the famed chimp authority and activist’s 81st birthday party in Palm Beach. The Institute commissioned 500 box sets of 8x cards and envelopes featuring a design of Jane with a chimp, created by the artist. Mackay also donated a lifetime supply of personal stationery for Dr Goodall.

Working images

Private Pet Photoshoots

All designs are hand-illustrated by Rory Mackay from original working images, captured by the artist. As a trained photographer, Mackay will capture beautiful images of your

pet to use for design and illustration of your final product.

Photographs are also available for individual purchase and Mackay will travel to facilitate a private photoshoot with you

and your pet.