•             Being a softspoken man, MacDonald was described to be a quiet and shy redhead of frail structure, possessing the dreamy air of a philosopher and a poet—he even wrote his own poems, which he tried to reflect within his art.  The artist was also known as a practical man, with a great strength of character, represented as the father figure of the Group of Seven. 
• His beliefs included being a transcendalist who read Whitman and Thoreau, and he had a strong belief that through nature, man reached a higher spiritual end, something as well that he persisted to show within his art.  Also, MacDonald was referred to by his fellow artists as a ‘romantic’, writing poetically of the style of his art and of the landscape within his letters. 
• JEH MacDonald also possessed an interest in sketching the rugged Canadian landscape as well.  Another one of his personality’s gifts were that he adored nature, wildlife and carpentry, often making his own picture frames.
• Being the most focused member of the Group of Seven, MacDonald’s other characteristics included being old, mature, and wise, with a reserved air about him.  James MacDonald’s analytical mind and greater experience allowed him to look beyond the excitement of a moment, t think outside of the box, and t even quiet some of the inevitable antagonisms among creative people.

            Most importantly, JEH MacDonald believed that at should “express the mood and character, and spirit of the country”, portraying the opinion of art within vast panoramas using dark, rich colours and a turbulent patterned style.