Keight MacLean

I like a painting that's special in person, and that's a big reason why I use all of the textures, the metallics, and the fluorescents. They're never quite the same when you see a photo of them, but when you see it in person for the first time, there's just something so 'wow' about it!

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By connie morrisJun 21, 20220 comments

was studying in Florence, Italy. I did OCAD's Florence program, which is where you spend a year abroad essentially doing your own thing, a full all-inclusive pass to the Uffizi [Gallery]. I got to skip the lines, so I was just there like every day essentially. I left Florence but Florence really never left my art.

I'm drawn a lot to women throughout history, mostly because women haven't always had the best time historically, so I like to really put a spotlight on them -particularly, a lot of lesser-known artists and very much lesser-known women. I've always been really drawn to the kind of 'portrait of a lady' or 'portrait of a woman' where we now in history have no idea who these women actually were.

Tri-Art: Why do you use acrylics?

Keight: A long time ago, I used to make oil paintings, and very gradually I developed quite an allergy to solvents and even linseed oil in oil paint, so I have a hard time using oil paints. So I was just forced into learning how to paint with acrylic paints like they're oils, but I think through doing that, it just made me grow to love acrylics more. I actually like that acrylics dry fast, you can go back in and rework them immediately, and they're always just ready. I'm a very fast-paced worker, and I like to be doing 10 things at a time, so acrylics just work for me.

One of the things that's very special to me in the work that I do now, is [making] paintings that don't necessarily photograph as well and can't be reproduced. I like a painting that's special in person, and that's a big reason why I use all of the textures, the metallics, and the fluorescents. They're never quite the same when you see a photo of them, or like, you know you love them when you see a photo of them but when you see it in person for the first time, there's just something so 'wow' about it!

traditional, very classical portraits - just straight up almost photorealism - and after a while, I found I kind of got bored of my paintings. From a very young age, I would just hoard art supplies and loved playing with them - all the different gels and mediums and the colours and all the different viscosities, they all did different things and mixed well together. I would always just kind of do that in my own time, and then just paint very traditionally.

Then probably around three or four years ago, I kind of had that moment of like "why aren't I bringing these into my actual art" because obviously I love playing with the materials, and I love just havingwith my actual paintings, a painting and afterwards being like 'it's okay, I see all the flaws in it'. But now, I don't know - just all the fun media really, really I think is the reason why I paint!