MacNeil, who owns a painting company in California,
is the first person born in North America to receive this honor. He
also holds the distinction of Freeman of the City and Guilds of London
and a Teaching Award from the President of the Japanese Painters
Association. MacNeil also paints wall finishes, plaster finishes, etc.
His clients include many celebrities including actors Charlie Sheen
and George Clooney (not that he would ever name-drop!), individuals,
hotels, casinos and restaurants. MacNeil is proud of the table he
recently wood-grained for Sheen (pictured on this web's home page) and of the
Piper Cherokee airplane he
wood-grained. The airplane too 100 hours to wood-grain in mahogany and
maple for a sheriff in Tampa.
MacNeil believes everyone is creative, whether
as a painter, a parent, a lawyer, doctor or whatever. In his view, you
don't develop creativity--it develops you. "I don't think it's
something you can plan," he says. "You can work toward it.
You can practice. Everybody has some sort of potential or creativity.
It doesn't matter who they are, they're going to be good at something.
It's just finding what it is. It either comes to your or you stumble
across it. You'll find it somehow.
MacNeil is not only an amazing artist, a
world renowned marbler and wood grainer, he is an excellent teacher.
He spent two years teaching in Japan and now teaches classes at
various schools around the country. With his natural wit and humorous
personality, he makes learning fun and effortless. In a recent class
at Paintin' the Town, Faux in Atlanta, students were amazed at how fun
and easy he makes learning such a complicated art.
MacNeil was born in Canada. After serving
in the Canadian Navy, he served a four-year apprenticeship as a union
painter in a shipyard under an Italian master painter. There he
learned house and automotive painting, furniture refinishing, and
wallpaper hanging. He also worked in the sign shop, learning
lettering, sign writing, furniture refinishing, and wood graining.
Thus, began MacNeil's interest in and love of wood graining and
marbling.
Before going to Europe, he took a class
in California where he met his mentor and long-time friend, English
decorative painter William (Bill) Holgate, who was teaching the class.
Holgate was considered one to the best modern wood grainers and
marblers. MacNeil says he saw Bill's marbling and said, "This is
really good, the best I've ever seen--next to Kershaw's, of
course" Holgate also knew of Thomas Kershaw's work and was inspired
by him. Holgate and MacNeil became close friends and together went to
England to pursue their fascination with Thomas Kershaw. They studied
his life and works at various museums where his panels were displayed.
