ELSPETH J MACKENZIE

Skiffie Art and The Art of Coastal Rowing

I am a Scottish visual artist  based in Leith, Edinburgh, Scotland. My art is influenced by my adventures and experiences as a coastal rower. 

​

I capture the essence of my chosen subject matter in a lively and impressionistic way. Most of my work is executed on paper with water based media. I love the fluidity and translucency of this approach. However, I will use whatever materials I feel will best convey the impression I want to create.

​

I love to use fluid acrylic ink on Yupo paper (a plastic coated paper similar to photographic paper with a shiny non-absorbent surface). The paint slips and slides on the surface of the paper and can be chased around until the desired effect is found. Not for the faint hearted - as this method is unpredictable and you have to be prepared to make use of ‘happy accidents’. I enjoy this aspect of this way of working though – it makes it all the more exciting. Once the paint begins to dry , I can scratch into the surface to create texture or add further layers of paint.