David Alan Redpath Michie OBE RSA (1928 – 2015) was born at Saint-Raphaël, France. His father, James Michie, was an architect and painter and his mother was the celebrated artist Anne Redpath OBE RSA.
Michie’s early years were spent living in St-Jean-Cap-Ferrat where his father was private architect to American tycoon Charles Thompson. Later, the vibrant colour schemes of the Côte d’Azur would infuse his work. In 1934, Michie returned to Scotland with his family and settled in the Scottish Borders. In 1946, he enrolled at the Edinburgh College of Art but his time there was interrupted in 1947 with the introduction of National Service. He completed his service in the Signal Corps, qualifying as an instructor with the Royal Artillery Signals in 1949 and returned to Edinburgh College of Art where he was taught by William Gillies RSA. In 1953 he received a travelling scholarship to Italy, accompanied by his friend, the painter John Houston. They toured the Renaissance sites of Tuscany, and stayed in the hilltop towns of Anticoli Corrado and Orvieto in Umbria. Houston and his wife Elizabeth Blackadder RSA were to remain life-long friends.
Michie taught widely, lecturing at James Clarke’s School, Edinburgh, and Gray’s School of Art, Aberdeen. He was a visiting professor at the Academy of Fine Art in Belgrade and the University of California. He returned to Edinburgh College of Art to teach painting during the 1960s and 1970s, and was Vice Principal there from 1974 to 1977.
Colour was central to Michie's painting. Working in both oils and watercolour, his subjects ranged from nature, garden compositions and his observance of people going about their everyday activities.