David Mackie’s Blue Brain

An arranged flat lay of creative artifacts spreads across a dark indigo linen surface: a vintage 35mm camera with textured black leather, a slim graphite mechanical pencil, a stack of neatly clipped manuscript pages, and a small cluster of navy and silver sticky notes with faint, abstract scribbles. A narrow strip of warm morning light cuts diagonally across the scene from an unseen window, catching the metallic edges of the camera and creating a chiaroscuro effect that enhances the blues and blacks. The composition is carefully balanced with negative space at the top, suggesting room for ideas and reflection. Photographic realism, shot directly overhead, emphasizes order, sophistication, and a life devoted to thinking, writing, and making.

Origin Story

An evolving map of my influences, experiments, and obsessions—the thread connecting four former sites.

About

Blue Brain gathers my scattered projects into one place—part sketchbook, part archive, part laboratory. It reflects decades of restless curiosity, half-finished experiments, and the work I’m finally ready to share.

Read on
A sleek midnight-blue hardcover notebook lies open on a walnut desk, its creamy blank pages inviting ideas. A finely machined metal fountain pen with a deep indigo barrel rests diagonally across the spread, a tiny ink blot suggesting recent use. In the background, a softly blurred laptop and a small stack of well-worn books hint at ongoing creative work. Late-afternoon window light falls from the left, creating gentle gradients across the paper and subtle reflections on the pen. The mood is contemplative and sophisticated, emphasizing intellect and craft. Photographic realism, shot at eye level with a shallow depth of field, framing the notebook on the rule of thirds for a clean, modern portfolio aesthetic.