Hamish Mackie

1973

British wildlife sculptor Hamish Mackie has had the privilege of observing wildlife in many corners of the world at first hand. "Observing animals in their own environment, in their natural habitat, is essential to understanding the subject's physical and instinctive traits. For example, the disposition of a captive predator is very different from that of a predator the wild," he says. This close observation, often involving intense research trips and sculpting from life in the field, informs Hamish's whole approach to his work, which resonates with his passion for the natural world.

His bronze wildlife sculptures capture instinctive moments of animal behaviour but are his own interpretation, not merely photographic representations. Hamish manages to convey the inner core, strength and grace of his subject. Largely self-taught, his style is unique - he frequently works in spontaneous, often unrepeatable, fluid gestures with a confidence born from many years of mastering his craft. This assertive handling of his materials, coupled with an acute understanding of anatomy, results in strong, dynamic, 'living' sculptures.

Born in 1973, Hamish Mackie grew up on a livestock farm in Cornwall, England. In the kitchen of the family farm, there still hangs his first bronze sculpture - a calf's head he made at the age of 12 as a Christmas present for his father. He attended Radley College and Falmouth School of Art, before going on to study design at Kingston University. He began sculpting full time in 1996.

Hamish has works in public and private collections around the world. His ... show more

British wildlife sculptor Hamish Mackie has had the privilege of observing wildlife in many corners of the world at first hand. "Observing animals in their own environment, in their natural habitat, is essential to understanding the subject's physical and instinctive traits. For example, the disposition of a captive predator is very different from that of a predator the wild," he says. This close observation, often involving intense research trips and sculpting from life in the field, informs Hamish's whole approach to his work, which resonates with his passion for the natural world.

His bronze wildlife sculptures capture instinctive moments of animal behaviour but are his own interpretation, not merely photographic representations. Hamish manages to convey the inner core, strength and grace of his subject. Largely self-taught, his style is unique - he frequently works in spontaneous, often unrepeatable, fluid gestures with a confidence born from many years of mastering his craft. This assertive handling of his materials, coupled with an acute understanding of anatomy, results in strong, dynamic, 'living' sculptures.

Born in 1973, Hamish Mackie grew up on a livestock farm in Cornwall, England. In the kitchen of the family farm, there still hangs his first bronze sculpture - a calf's head he made at the age of 12 as a Christmas present for his father. He attended Radley College and Falmouth School of Art, before going on to study design at Kingston University. He began sculpting full time in 1996.

Hamish has works in public and private collections around the world. His

wildlife sculptures are cast in bronze, silver or occasionally gold as limited editions, each signed, dated and numbered. Each sculpture takes on average four months to be sculpted, moulded and then cast into bronze using the lost wax method. It is a highly skilled, labour-intensive process.

"You should be able to look wildlife sculpture in the eye and see life." (Hamish Mackie)