The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-10-30
ARTIST TELLS OF HIS
 SERIES OF PASTELS. ON LOCAL INDUSTRY.
Mackenzie Talks Interesting Iy on Incidents of His Career-FeIt Lure
 Nof Paris

Surrounded by his pastels, which have won for him a warm place in the hearts of Birmingham art lovers, hoderlck D. Mackenzie, Alabama artist, last night related the experi- ences of his life and told the mo- tives which prompted him to paint the series of pastels of the local steel industry.
 T came to Mobile when l was g years of age, and was brought up there,' MT. Mackenzie said when asked to tell something of his past life T began painting when 1 was just child, 10 or II years old, my first pictures being exclusively of dogs. At that age 1 was able to get orders and sold them.
 Like all the other Mobile boys I went to Barton academy, and after graduating I spent two years in Bos z ton studying at the Art Museum school. This was in 1884 and after my stay there I returned to my home in Mobile, where l spent a year or 50 painting portraits"
 Lure of Paris
 It was at this time that, like most artists, Mi. Mackenzie felt the lure of Paris and left Mobile with the in tention of spending two years study ing there.
 Instead of getting back to Mobile in two years, though, it was 25,' MT Mackenzie said Three of these years were spent in Paris. then un- dertook a commission from an, art dealer to go to India and paint sporting scenes-tigers, elephants and other wild game. 1 spent three years in this work, and travelled over a large part of tne country. Much of the time I was at Assam, and went on a number of hunting expeditions. r then thought l should like to paint India-country and people Eventually, l spent 12 years in the country and was commi ssioned to paint a picture of the Dunbar, great state function. This picture took three years to complete, and is now hanging in Calcutta art meseum.
 Returning to Europe l had studio in London and in Paris Tn 1913 1 returned to my old home Tn Mobile Most of my work has been marine and portrait"
 MT. Mac K enzie was asked what kind of painting he liked best
 1T do not believe in tying myself to any one class of painting, as you see from the things I have told you painted" he replied. But l ike anything that has action in it, or IS xvierd and dramatic My pictures that are best known in Europe-one called "Afghans" and another "Baluches belong to this type. They were re- ,soduced and copies sold all over the world.
 Steel Pastels
 s"It seems strange to make the comparison, but these pictures seem to belong to the same class as the steel pastels you see here. came 10 Birmingham last May to exhibit some of my work at the museum of the local art league. l did not then anticipate doing the pastels In fact, | saw the steel industry for the first time 1 determined at once to get permission to paint the pictures.
 It was spgg ested that the people of Birmingham do not usually think of the steel plants as, being beautl- full and subjects for the artist.
 This is due to the fact that they t.o net see them at night, and then 100, often a bit of landscape is beau tiful when the whole may not be- MT. Mackenzie replied,
 Intense Realism
 Attention was called to the intense realism of the pictures before him.
 'sYes, that is the value of the work. They were begun and finished on the spot" Mir Mackenzie said. .'I be- gan early in May and have been painting at the Ensley plants ever since I intend going on with my work after this week. There is no end of subjects.
 My object in the paintings is to show the smassiveness of the mechan- ism. which is operated with so little visible assistance from man" Mr Mackenzie said when asked The work was done entirely at night, and