Elly MacKay
On That Small Hilltop in the Mountains, Their Lives Were Intertwined
With the Luck of a Rabbit
Steam and Sails
On the Back of a Tiger
He Knew They Would Agree- To Hank There Could Be No Finer Tree
In His World, He Was King
A Day to Celebrate
They Tied Their Hopes to a String
About The Artist
I live north of Toronto in Owen Sound, Ontario, Canada with my husband Simon and daughter, Lily. I am an artist, illustrator and educator. I went to the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design and the University of Canterbury for illustration, printmaking and electronic art. While there, I began doing freelance illustration.
I used to spend a great deal of time making tunnel books, which I sold at 1st Hand Gallery in Toronto. These paper theater works are a return to working in this method with the addition of photography. I set up layers of drawings, on a small scale, like a very tiny stage set or installation. My work often tells a moment in a story, and often plays with the themes of childhood, and the ephemeral. I look to my own childhood, my experiences as a mother, Victorian curiosities, vintage book illustrations, and set design. At times I work on a larger scale, creating installations. In the future I hope to do some animation as well. I am excited to be working on my first children’s books in this style!
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