Ralph J. McDonald

The MACC rang in the holidays with some of renowned Tennessee artist Ralph J. McDonald’s paintings of Jolly Old St. Nicholas.

McDonald was already a renowned wildlife artist before he created his first Santa Claus painting. That work, titled “A Christmas Party,” was inspired by a trip through Cades Cove in the Smoky Mountains on a snowy winter day. It was painted in the tradition of Santa painters he most admired, such as Haddon Sundblom, Norman Rockwell and N.C. Wyeth. Not surprisingly, McDonald’s love of nature finds its way into many of his Santa paintings. In most of his Santa paintings, McDonald also includes a depiction of the Nativity. The details in all of his paintings work together to emit kindness, joy, laughter, peace and serenity.

As a wildlife artist, McDonald’s career was second to none. He was commissioned by the governor of Tennessee to paint the official state bird, the mockingbird, and by the governor of South Carolina to paint the state animal and fish, the whitetail deer and striped bass. McDonald has twice been Featured Artist in several of the most prestigious wildlife art shows in America, among them the Southeastern Wildlife Expo and World Wildlife Expo.