Original artwork description:

In 2005 before the buildings restoration, McKay was given a key to the monastery and allowed to go as he pleased. After years of neglect and vandalism the Monastery was in ruin, there were hundreds of pigeons living in the roof area, broken stained Glass windows and plaster falling from the walls yet his interest grew. Setting himself a task over a 2 week period to daily enter the building, alone armed with drawing equipment, paper, sandwiches and a flask of tea he aimed to produce a collection of drawings and colour studies that would formulate a series of work on canvas .This huge empty wasteland of space became his obsession and his focus became more measured looking closely at the markings and palette of the crumbling decaying plaster.
In January 2006 McKay was offered the Artist in Residency position at Gorton Monastery for a 3 year period.

Materials used:

Acrylic, Oil, Household, Charcoal, Pastel on Canvas