Neil McDonald  1940-2018

Neil was born in London on 23 December 1940.  Naturally talented, in 1952, aged 11, he was sent to study at Twickenham School of Art.  In 1956 he left Twickenham School of Art and became a Junior at Dorland Advertising Agency in Lower Regent's Street.  While at Dorland he continued to study, attending The Central School of Art and Crafts on Shaftesbury Avenue and The London School of Printing and Graphic Design in Clerkenwell where he was taught by the great poster designer and visual communicator Tom Eckersley.

After art school Neil continued in the world of advertising. Having started as a junior at Dorland he soon became an Illustrator. Neil later moved to Lintas, the ad agency for Unilever, and after Lintas, he joined McCann Erickson. Neil became a highly successful illustrator also working freelance for all the major ad agencies including Saachi and Saachi, J Walter Thompsons, and Collet Dickenson and Pearce.

Continually in demand, Neil worked on many famous campaigns for clients such as Kodak, Martini, Dunhill, Benson and Hedges, Schweppes, De Beers Diamonds and Rolls Royce cars and airplanes. He worked on the top secret first advertising campaign to launch the iconic sixties car the Mini. In the 1970's, Neil designed and created all the drawings and paintings, on location in The Bahamas, for the yearly advertising campaign for The Bahamas Tourist Board. These drawings and paintings were featured as a series of full page ads in all the major newspaper Sunday supplements. Neil also designed and painted posters for many clients including the seventies aftershave Old Spice, the Milk Board to launch the first Milk carton and for the Olympic pentathlon where he personally liaised with Princess Diana. Neil won the Creative Circle Award for the 48 sheet poster he designed and painted for Fisons. He also won the Design Council Poster Award.

His portrait work included paintings of Lester Piggott and Derby winner Slip Anchor ridden by Steve Cauthen for Illustrated London News. He was a prolific illustrator for The New York Herald and Tribune and The Readers Digest and he regularly provided portraits for the political column of the Observer newspaper and front cover paintings for the Sunday Observer colour supplement. His portraits included many celebrities and dignitaries such as HRH Prince of Wales for Illustrated London News, Roosevelt Stalin and Churchill for The New York Herald and Tribune, Jose Carreras, Petula Clark, Bob Geldof and John Williams for Readers Digest. As well as winning awards for his commercial work Neil was also involved with The Society of Illustrators in New York with his great friends Bernie Fuchs and Robert Heindel, Bob Peak and Mark English.

When Neil left advertising he turned to fine art and private commissions. He was allowed privileged access inside Home Park, the private side of Windsor Castle and Windsor Park normally closed to the public, to set a series of paintings. He then exhibited this work at an exclusive show that was opened by the Late Queen Mother and held in Royal Windsor Great Park. His work has been shown in several exhibitions both solo and mixed in London, Paris and Frankfurt. Neil also exhibited in Spain, and Australia.

In the late 1980's Neil and his wife moved to Spain where they integrated and absorbed themselves within Spanish culture and Neil painted many elements of Spanish life.

After many years in Spain they returned to England and inspired by his love of horses Neil undertook various paintings for the racing fraternity. This included many paintings situated in and around Newbury Racecourse including the Winners Enclosure - coordinated by Sasha Green racing correspondent for BBC South and manager for the Racing Syndicate.

Neil was allowed access to Nicky Henderson's Yard at Seven Burrows Racing Stables in order to paint a series of paintings, situated both in the yard and on the gallops.

Andrew Balding’s Stables in Kingsclere have also allowed Neil access to create a series of paintings again in the yard and on the gallops.

Royal Windsor Polo Club, Smiths Lawn, and the Royal Horse Guards Polo Team also provided Neil with subjects for his paintings, including a series depicting Paul, the Farrier of the Polo ponies.

Neil also exhibited at The Mall Galleries London and The Singer Freidlander Watercolour Exhibition.

From 2006 to 2011 his work was shown every year at the Society of Equestrian Artists exhibitions in London and Newmarket.

He was interviewed by The Arabian Horse Magazine and awarded a prize for his his painting of an Arabian Stallion,

Two of his paintings were displayed at the National Horseracing Museum in Newmarket.

Neil also taught Life Drawing and a Watercolour Master Class at Newbury College.

After a long and succesful artistic career, very sadly, Neil died in 2018.

For more information on Neil, his life and his work and on any prices or availability of Neil's paintings please contact: penelope.mc@outlook.com

Neil's son is contemporary figurative artist Andy McDonald.