Makin was given a set of pastels from his grandmother and told they had belonged to a family relative, supposedly descended from the renowned English portrait painter, Sir Joshua Reynolds.
[4] Later in life, Makin would go on to complete a Masters by Research at Deakin University in Geelong, Victoria, compiling his thesis entitled: "Meaning, Significance, and the Sublime in the Depiction of the Australian landscape".
As an example, came during a residency at the Gloucestershire College of Art in Cheltenham, UK, in 1978, Makin viewed a Georgio Morandi exhibition that left a lasting impression.
[12] Together, Williams and Makin would find places and landmarks that had been painted by members of the Heidelberg School artists camps including Tom Roberts, and Arthur Streeton of the Australian impressionist movement.
[11] In 2001, Makin took part in an expedition to Lake Eyre in South Australia, along with nine other artists including John Olsen, Tim Storrier, Robert Jacks, David Larwill and others.
[18] On his return to Australia in 1991, Makin lived in a historic property, Glen Harrow, in the Dandenong Ranges, which provided him with a lush garden and surrounding landscape in which he could enhance his technique.
These include NGA, NGV, AGNSW, QAG, AGWA, Parliament House, Geelong, Benalla, Sale, Townsville, as well as La Trobe and Melbourne University collections.