ANDREW MACARA STUDIES IN LIGHT
Red Rag Gallery is pleased to present a new exhibition of recent oil paintings by Andrew Macara, celebrating the continuing achievements of one of Britain’s most distinctive contemporary figurative artists. Now in his early eighties, Macara remains an energetic and inquisitive painter, and this exhibition marks more than twenty years of collaboration between the artist and Red Rag Gallery. Macara’s latest works reaffirm the qualities that have long defined his practice: a masterful command of light, shade and shadow; a clarity of composition; and an ability to evoke atmosphere with remarkable economy. His paintings possess a luminous immediacy – “his pictures glow,” as one critic observed—while capturing the essence of a moment with just a few assured strokes. Macara’s commitment to painting began in his teens, when he copied works by Rembrandt and Caravaggio. He later studied with Leonard Fuller at the St Ives School of Painting, though he considers himself largely self‑taught. Over the course of his career, he has exhibited regularly at the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition, is an elected member of the New English Art Club, and is listed at the Courtauld Institute. His many awards include Brian Sewell’s Critic’s Choice, honours from the Royal Academy Exhibition, the Paris Salon, and the De Lazlo Medal. Travel continues to play a central role in Macara’s practice. He draws inspiration from the British coastline, the countryside of his native Derbyshire, Alpine snowscapes, and scenes of leisure and play. Children, sunlight and the quiet choreography of everyday life remain recurring motifs. Each canvas is a celebration of simple joy—an invitation to pause, observe and delight in the moment. “I need to paint quickly to work outdoors and create the initial scene. I also make sketches, take photographs and once they are in the studio – the hard work begins.” Macara revisits each painting repeatedly, adjusting tone, colour and structure until the work reaches its final balance. His strong visual memory allows him to recall the exact light and atmosphere of a place. He paints exclusively in oil, often taking several months to complete a canvas to his satisfaction. Highly collectable and widely admired, Macara’s work has been commissioned by both public and private clients, including Sir Anthony and Lady Bamford, Scott Bader Company, the Hilton Hotel Group, St John’s Ambulance, Westminster’s New Parliamentary Building and Lloyds TSB. His paintings are represented in public collections across the UK.
Cover Image - Sheep and Sledgers, Alsop en le Dale - 32 x 36 inches
SCAN TO SEE AMANDA’S WORK CURRENTLY FOR SALE
Andrew Macara – Studies in Light 7 – 2 1 N ove m b e r 2026 All paintings are for sale on receipt of this brochure.
Sailboats, Skiathos 14 x 18 inches
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Pink House, Asos, Kefalonia 14 x 18 inches
Blue Sails, Tenby Regatta 16 x 30 inches
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Black and White Horses, Naxos, Greek Islands 32 x 36 inches 6.
Footballers, Mykonos, Greece 14 x 18 inches
Sail Boats, Tenby 12 x 20 inches
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Girl in a Pink Swimsuit, Kefalonia 15 x 24 inches
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White Sails, Tenby 15 x 24 inches
War and Peace, Brittany, France 16 x 30 inches
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School Outing, Llandudno 14 x 16 inches
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Striped Windbreak, Wells-Next-the-Sea 16 x 20 inches
Sailboats, Bray Dunes, France 36 x 40 inches 11.
Young Surfers, Tenby 32 x 36 inches 12.
Colourful Beach Huts, Bude 14 x 16 inches
Fishing by the World War II Sea Defences, Brittany, France 12 x 20 inches
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Digging in the Sand, Tenby North Beach 15 x 24 inches
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White Sails, Tenby Regatta 15 x 24 inches
Winter, Black Rocks, Wirksworth, Derbyshire 25 x 30 inches 15.
Time for a Rest, Selva, Val Gardena, Italy 30 x 48 inches 16.
Fun in the Snow, Rock City, Selva, Val Gardena, Italy 16 x 20 inches
Two Children, Snowy Morning, Idridgehay, Derbyshire 16 x 20 inches
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Three Skiers, Kitzbuhel, Austria 20 x 24 inches
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Sledging, Windley Lane, Idridgehay, Derbyshire 20 x 24 inches
Five Skiers, Tignes, France 25 x 30 inches 19.
Large Trees and Sledgers 36 x 32 inches 20.
Three Children Sledging, Derbyshire 16 x 30 inches
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Three Young Skiers, Tignes, France 14 x 18 inches
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Red and Yellow Sledges, Verbier, Switzerland 16 x 20 inches
Three Sledgers, Peak District, Derbyshire 26 x 40 inches 23.
Christmas Skiing, La Plagne, France 12 x 14 inches Alpine Skiers, Les Arcs, France 20 x 24 inches
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Children Sledging, Dam Lane, Alsop-en-le-Dale 32 x 36 inches 25.
Three Sledgers, Country Lane, Derbyshire 26 x 40 inches 26.
The Eye of the Needle, Tignes, France 20 x 24 inches
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Sailboats, Abersoch 30 x 48 inches
Red Rag Gallery Church Street Stow on the Wold Gloucestershire GL54 1BB t: 01451 832563 e: mail@redraggallery.co.uk www.redraggallery.co.uk 28.