Jennifer McRae RSA

CURRENT WORK
FILM
BIOGRAPHY
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Behind the Scenes, Jennifer McRae, 2020
JENNIFER McRAE – Portrait unveiling at National Portrait Gallery – July 2016

Jennifer McRae studied painting at Gray’s School of Art in Aberdeen from 1987-1992 and received a First Class Degree in Fine Art.

In 2002 Jennifer moved to London after being offered a bursary place on the Drawing Year at the Prince’s Drawing School. Over the years she has received awards from the BP Portrait Award, the Hunting Art Prizes, the Singer Friedlander and Kaupthing Watercolour prizes, the Morrison Scottish Portrait award and most recently the Worshipful Society of Painter Stainers. 

In 2008 she was the first Prize Winner in the RWS Sunday Times Watercolour competition and was also for the third time a Prize Winner at the Lynn Painter-Stainers Prize Exhibition held at Mall Galleries in February 2013.

In May 2014, she won the Ondaatje Gold Medal, Royal Society of Portrait Painters and was Artist in Residence in 2015 at the Carnegie Club, Skibo Castle, Dornoch (courtesy of  AIR residencies)

Jennifer creates work that combines reality with imagination, working from life while adhering to her own sense of detail and design. In turn this feeds her inspirations regarding her commissioned portraits, opening up contemporary possibilities to reflect the sitter’s world.

Jennifer’s work has been exhibited both in the UK and the US, often using travel to search out new inspiration to feed the creative process.  Her work can be found in many public collections including the National Portrait Gallery, the Scottish National Portrait Gallery, Reading Museum, Singer & Friedlander, Aberdeen Arts Gallery, Garrick Club, Lord’s MCC Museum, The Royal Society, The Royal Collection, Windsor. Her work is also included in private collections both in Europe and the US. Jennifer’s latest portrait commissions have included Dame Judi Dench and Sir Chris Hoy.  In 2016, she completed her 3rd commission for the permanent collection of the National Portrait Gallery, London, of Baroness Gail Rebuck, and even more recently, has had a self-portrait acquired by the Prestigious Ruth Borchard Collection.

In 2017, Jennifer was an invited selector for the international Columbia Threadneedle Art Prize, while also spending time between a number of private commissions and her travels to Buenos Aires in preparation for her 2018 Solo Show with Thackeray Gallery.

Jennifer McRae is a Royal Scottish Academician and has been exhibiting with Thackeray Gallery since 2007.