The eldest son of Scottish artist, Anne Redpath, Alastair Michie was born in St Omer, northern France, in 1921. Initially following in the footsteps of his architect father, Michie won a scholarship to the Edinburgh College of Art to study architecture, though his study was interrupted by his conscription to the Royal Air Force. After completing his service, Michie chose not to return to his architectural studies and instead pursued a career as a graphic designer and freelance illustrator. It was not until he had reached 40, after visiting the 1962 Venice Biennale and admiring the work of Abstract Expressionists Mark Rothko, Franz Kline, and Robert Motherwell, that Michie decided to dedicate himself to painting. In addition to h...