Born in South Africa in 1949, and living in Umtentweni on the Hibiscus Coast in Southern Africa. As a child he recalls “ I always loved drawing. I was often commissioned by other children to do their school drawings and as for myself never really interested in school work, except the weekly art lesson.” A self taught artist, painting full time in 1980.
During his novice years as an artist he ventured from seascape to landscape. Finally in 1983 he started painting African Wildlife. Travelling extensively throughout Africa he was able to capture the African Bush and wildlife it had to offer.
In 1983 he travelled to America to visit major galleries in various states and was accepted by one of the top galleries in Scottsdale, Arizona. The opportunities and the competition fascinated him, but most of all the challenge to compete with the worlds best. South Africa being such a small country had very little opportunity for expansion for a young artist with determination and dedication. His work is featured in top galleries in South Africa, America, Canada and England. In South Africa he is rated as one of the top Wildlife Artists in the country.
If a South African Artist is meeting with professional success in his country, what couold possibly cause him to search for a new market in the United States? Rob MacIntosh gives several reasons why he did just that: “ One prime reason” he stated, “was simple, that South Africa was too small a country to really give him the opportunity to improve and compete with the Masters of the World.A staunch individualist, he declared, “ I never follow market trends. I have the extreme good fortune in what I paint, I paint for me and the people that love my work.”
His fifteen year stay in America gave him the opportunity to compete with the best artists of the world and win awards. Once he won the highest award attainable beating the worlds best he knew his dedication, determination and hard work had paid off. In 2003 Rob MacIntosh returned to his home namely Umtentweni. Once a South African always a South African. America gave me the opportunity to develop my style and grow as an artist. It gave me opportunities I could not have attained in South Africa, but today I am happy in the land that I love, yet still have the good fortune of selling my paintings all over the world.
