Bio

Macaulay Woods is a contemporary American painter whose work is rooted in the spontaneous energy and emotional depth of Abstract Expressionism. Drawing on the influences of Hieronymus Bosch, Philip Guston, Jackson Pollock, and Willem de Kooning, her paintings embrace a free-flowing, gestural style where color, texture, and form collide in bold, visceral compositions. As a primarily self-taught painter, Macaulay’s creative process is deeply intuitive, guided by an exploration of the unconscious and a desire to capture the raw intensity of the moment.

Macaulay earned a BFA from the Massachusetts College of Art and Design (1994), and has since developed a multidisciplinary practice that spans painting, video, poetry, and photography. Her professional journey as a web producer has taken her to cities across the U.S.—from Los Angeles and San Francisco to Seattle, Provincetown and Boston—where each new environment has influenced her evolving artistic voice.

Her work has been shown at numerous venues, including the SOWA Open Studios in Boston, Kathryn Shultz Gallery, University Place Gallery, the Lexington Armory, Gallery at the Piano Factory, Brickbottom Gallery, Cambridge Commons, At home with the Arts, among others. A former exhibiting member of the Cambridge Art Association, Macaulay has also received artist certifications from the Boston Redevelopment Authority (2002 and 2008).

In the Ford Series, Macaulay continues to push the boundaries of abstract painting, exploring the tension between chaos and control, spontaneity and intention. She has shared her live work studio with her beloved rescue terrier, Leo Marvelle, who is an ever-present muse in her creative life.