# Debbie Mackinnon
*Painter, Educator, Nature Enthusiast*

Debbie Mackinnon is a Sydney and Central Coast-based contemporary artist whose expressive landscapes and florals explore the emotional and sensory experience of being in nature. A passionate drawer and observer, Debbie brings together a lifelong love of sketching, a background in publishing and illustration, and over 20 years of immersive painting practice to create works that straddle abstraction and realism.Originally trained as a medical illustrator in London, Debbie later became an award-winning author and art director of children’s books before relocating to Australia. The Australian landscape, with its wild coastline, vibrant flora, and luminous light, reignited her artistic spirit. She now paints full-time and is the founder and director of ME Artspace, a thriving artist-run studio in North Sydney.Her process begins outdoors, where she creates energetic drawings and mixed media studies in sketchbooks—fast, loose, and alive with movement. Back in the studio, she develops these into layered acrylic works on canvas or panel. Whether painting coastal headlands or floral interiors, Debbie sees the world through the lens of abstraction, memory, and emotion. Her goal is not to replicate a scene but to bring the outside in and evoke multiple moments in time.Debbie’s work has been featured in numerous solo and group exhibitions and has been shortlisted for major prizes, including the Waterhouse Natural Science Art Prize, the Mosman Art Prize, and the Adelaide Perry Drawing Prize. Her paintings are held in private and public collections around the world.You can find more of Debbie Mackinnon’s work on her website and on her Instagram.

## Retreats led by Debbie Mackinnon

### Fast and Loose - Expressive Travel Sketchbooks Retreat with Artists Mike Staniford and Debbie Mackinnon in France
May 16 - 23, 2026 · Eymet, Dordogne, France · $4,450
Instructors: Debbie Mackinnon, Mike Staniford
[Details](https://uptrek.com/ai/content/retreat/fast-loose-expressive-travel-sketchbooks-retreat-artists-mike-staniford-debbie-mackinnon-france) · [Book on uptrek.com →](https://uptrek.com/retreat/fast-loose-expressive-travel-sketchbooks-retreat-artists-mike-staniford-debbie-mackinnon-france#book)

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**Last updated:** 2025-04-14