Moy Mackay

 

Moy Mackay was born in Edinburgh in 1966. She graduated from Glasgow School of Art in 1990 with a BA (Hons) degree in Design.  Since then she has lived and worked in the Scottish Borders.

Moy's felted paintings are created by replacing paint as a medium with dyed sheep's fleece.  She uses finest quality merino tops from merino sheep, combining traditional felting techniques with embroidery.  Layers of merino are built up creating a picture, and then soap and hot water are applied.  By means of rubbing and rolling the fibres are joined together to create the piece.  Work is usually embellished with hand and machine embroidery. The results are strikingly rich in colour and texture.
The nature of the medium requires a fine balance between spontaneity and control.  This means that the finished work always carries an element of surprise, an aspect of the process Moy particularly enjoys. Moy's passion is for colour and this is evident in her work.  By using merino in a more painterly way she has created an innovative and new approach to painting.

Living rurally in the heart of the beautiful Tweed Valley provides inspiration for her work.  Over the past few years Moy has exhibited her work widely in hugely successful solo exhibitions throughout Scotland.

Moy works from WASPS studios in Selkirk, which can be visited by appointment.