Tom Macdonald

Tom MacDonald (1914-1985) was a painter, stage designer and lecturer. Born in Glasgow and trained as a marine engineer. He initially attended classes at Glasgow School of Art before becoming a mainly self-taught artist. He was a close friend of painters JD Fergusson and Josef Herman, whose studio he took over in the 1940s. As well as painting abstracts under the influence of Herman, he painted a series of Expressionist pictures drawing on Glasgow working-class life. It was in that decade that he began his association with the stage, directing and designing sets for Unity Theatre, later paintings sets for Scottish Opera. Macdonald was a versatile artist, working in a wide range of mediums and sizes. Some of his other themed works focussed on Clowns as well as Cowboys, where he was exploring human behaviour.

He took part in the inaugural exhibition of Compass Gallery, Glasgow, in 1969, and showed with the RSA, SSA and Scottish Arts Council tours. He had a series of solo exhibitions with Compass Gallery and the Third Eye Centre, Glasgow held his memorial exhibition. His work can be found in several public collections throughout the UK including The Government Art Collection; Glasgow Museums; the Hunterian Art Gallery and the National Galleries of Scotland.