Margaree Centre artist Colonel MacLellan has transformed a portion of his home into an art gallery displaying his original works in oil and pencil.
May 24, 2023
-by Bill Dunphy
You don’t really need a reason to take a drive through the Margarees.
Along with the scenery, you can stop for an ice cream at The Ice Cream Shop, soup and a sandwich at The Goat, a walk along the river, or go all in and visit Ruth and Herman at the Big Intervale Fishing Lodge.
But if you need another reason, then a visit to Colonel MacLellan’s art gallery is certainly worth the drive to Margaree Centre.
The gallery will hold its grand opening this Saturday, May 27th, and MacLellan said he is looking forward to meeting new people and having a chat – and if he happens to sell an oil painting or a portrait done in pencil, then that’s okay too.
MacLellan was born in Southwest Margaree on the Farquhar Road, grew up in New Waterford, did a stint out west before coming back to Nova Scotia to work as a rigger at the Halifax dockyard up to his retirement.
“Then Jackie (his wife) and I came to paradise,” he said in an interview on Saturday.
Needing a hobby to take into retirement with him, MacLellan began painting at the age of 40.
“I’m pretty much self taught. I took in some workshops, painted with Jean Watson (founder of Tartan Day) in Halifax, and joined a couple of art groups. But at the end of the day, you develop your own style.”
One of those art groups was the Inverness-based Colour Blind Collective. That group included Virginia McCoy (who passed away in December 2022), A.J. Aucoin, Dave MacGregor, Terry (Lake) MacDonald, and Tom Ryan, among others.
“When I decide to paint something, it’s for the challenge. That’s what it’s all about for me,” he said, laughingly pointing to a portrait in pencil of one of his favourite authors, Fyodor Dostoevsky. “Nobody but me would know who that is.”
MacLellan’s work ranges mainly within landscapes, wildlife, and portraits.
“Everything I do is all original work, there are no copies or prints. It’s all one of a kind.”
MacLellan, 74, said the gallery hours aren’t set in stone and he will be open every day throughout the summer and early fall.
“I go fishing for a couple of hours in the morning, I read for two hours, paint for two hours – everything in two-hour stints,” he said.
“I’m not looking for a job. I just like seeing people who can come in for a chat.”
To attend the grand opening to view his art, or have that chat, you can find Colonel and Jackie MacLellan at 1691 West Big Intervale Road in Margaree Centre.
You can also reach him by email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or by phone at 902-248-2457.
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