Moy mackay biography sampler

Write what you know. It’s a cliché that holds more than a pinch of truth for writers. But what about other creatives? For Moy Mackay, one of our leading textile artists, luckily she’s never had to look far for inspiration.

Living and working in the Scottish Borders, nestled among the spectacular scenery of her native Scotland, the landscapes and vistas of this unique terrain – vast open skies, ever changing seasons, heather-laden hillsides and the solitary bothies and cottages that intervene – are inspiration enough.

Initially trained as a painter, Moy was accustomed to distilling this unique sense of place through her paintbrush.

But three decades ago, she started to develop what she describes as felted paintings, answering an urge to create images that resembled a painting but were more than the sum of pigment on canvas.

Painting with merino fibres and stitch, Moy creates vibrantly hued, textured textile landscapes, which resonate with rich co