Alan Mackay (1943-2008) painted every day of his life, riding around the Wirral peninsular on his motorbike hunting for scenes that would spark his creativity.
Born in 1943, Alan began drawing at the age of three, encouraged by his mother who also enjoyed practising art, although she did not seriously pursue it as a career.
She approached the local authority when he was 14-years-old to request a place at the Laird School of Art in Birkenhead. It was there that he began painting in oils.
A manual worker most of his life, Alan worked as a gardener for Wirral Council, in waste management and, for his last 20 years, as a voluntary helper at Dale Farm horticultural centre in Heswall, a day centre for adults with disabilities.
A member of the Wirral Society of Arts for more than 40 years, Alan displayed his work in the organisation’s twice annual shows as well as in solo exhibitions across the North West and, in 1979, in a joint exhibition with his brother Anthony held in the foyer of the Liverpool ECHO’s offices.