Iain McKellar Art

Drawing has been central to Iain’s practice since childhood, and it remains the foundation that underpins all of his work today. A strong, intuitive draftsmanship continues to guide his exploration of form, tone, and composition.

After many years working as an art director with leading national and international advertising agencies, Iain gradually stepped away to focus more fully on painting and illustration. This shift gave him the space to focus on his own work with greater clarity and intent.

Iain’s art, particularly their stonescapes, has been recognised through selection as a finalist in a number of major art prizes, including:
• the Wynne Prize 1999 and 2000 at the Art Gallery of NSW
• the James Hardie Wildlife Fund Art Prize 2000
• the Mosman Art Prize 1999, and
• the Willoughby Art Prize 2001, where they were awarded the People’s Choice

Iain has also been highly commended by the Royal Art Society of NSW in 2004 and 2005, and was selected as a finalist in the JADA in 2020 and 2022 at Grafton Regional Gallery.

Alongside his exhibiting art, Iain was commissioned to illustrate a fully realised edition of ‘Peter Pan’ as part of a children’s classic storybook collection, comprising over 30 illustrations.

Today, Iain creates commissioned portraits of both people and animals, as well as caricatures, and continues his ongoing exploration of stone compositions, where he find quiet complexity and narrative within the natural world.