Book Excerpt: Gear & Materials

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Here's an excerpt from my new book, THROUGH A PAINTER'S BRUSH: SCOTLAND! It's the chapter on gear and materials.  I'm making this post free for everyone.

Back from Scotland

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Four weeks in Scotland, and now I'm back!  Here's a report, on my Substack.

Scotland / Week 3

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I've been traveling! But I've been keeping up with my blog over on Substack.  You can read all the entries there, but here is the latest.

https://mchesleyjohnson.substack.com/p/scotland-week-3 

Scotland / Preparations: Route

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The time has come!  If you'd like to follow my month-long trip, please head over to Substack.  I won't have time to also post to Blogger.  Go to: The time has come... https://mchesleyjohnson.substack.com/p/scotland-preparations-route

Plane Tickets: Check!

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Skye Sheep / 6x8 Oil
One of my "gift" paintings for supporters.
We met this little Blackface sheep on the Isle of Skye

Our trip to Scotland is getting closer to reality--we recently bought our plane tickets!  As I write, we are poring over a map and studying ScotRail routes to determine exactly where we might spend our four weeks.  (By the way, I'm finding Google Maps to be very helpful; give it a destination, and it will give me the different ScotRail routes and times to get there.)  Our next step it to start making lodging reservations. Excited? Yes!

As I've mentioned before, I'd love your support.  My goal for this trip is to gather scads of reference material--color studies in gouache, pencil sketches and photos--for a series of studio paintings plus a book.  How can you support me?  There are two ways:

1. You can pre-buy a 6x8 oil painting of Scotland.  I've offered this for past trips, and the feedback has been wonderful.  After I return from my trip, I'll embark on creating a series of these small paintings, and for $300, you can have your pick of them.  They will be nicely framed, and I will ship them for free to the continental US.  (For elsewhere, I'll charge you actual shipping.)

2.  You can pre-buy my new book (signed!) AND get a 6x8 painting of Scotland.  Same deal as above with the paintings, but the book will be shipped separately and a bit later, as I need to not just make paintings for it but also write it and get it printed.  The book will be similar to my past Through a Painter's Brush books, filled with beautiful images of Scotland and essays on my travels.  You can have both of these, the painting and the book, for only $335. 

Here's a draft cover of the new book

 Although I've set up a Patreon page where you can make monthly payments (price is as bit higher because Patreon charges me 5%), you are also welcome to pay the full amount up-front (without the Patreon fee!) For Patreon, go here, and to send me a full payment via Zelle, Paypal or personal check, email me and I will tell you how to do it.

Below I've included images of some of the past 6x8 paintings of Scotland I've made.  I'm looking forward to this project, and I hope you'll join me in the journey.

Scotland: Kilt Rock, 36x12 Oil

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Kilt Rock, 36x12 Oil
Read on for details! Also, it's available.

This winter, I'm working on some large paintings of Scotland.  (These are for my upcoming book, which will be part of my Through a Painter's Brush series.)  "Kilt Rock" was a fun one to paint, as I wanted to turn a broad, 1:3 format on its head to enhance the somewhat unsettling feeling of the sheer, 180-foot plummet of Mealt Falls, a sea cliff waterfall on the Isle of Skye.  Kilt Rock is the name of the cliff behind the falls.

Here are some progress shots with some explanatory text.  Click on images for bigger versions.

I first made a 1/2-scale design sketch in vine charcoal on newsprint.  You'll note this image is sideways—but that's how I sketched it!  Working with this 90-degree shift helped me see the simple shapes in the abstraction, rather than thinking of shapes as "cliff," "waterfall," and so on.

When I took my reference photos, the day was overcast with a cool light.  I wanted to keep that cool-light effect, so I started off by toning my 36x12 cradled panel with quinacridone magenta.  I also outlined my shapes and blocked in the rocky cliffs with the same.

Moving to viridian and phthalo emerald, I blocked in the grassy areas.  At this point, the magenta was looking rather lurid, so I toned it down by scumbling on some viridian.  Taking a clean brush dampened with Gamsol, I removed paint where I wanted to reshape the waterfall.  I also lightened some of the values elsewhere by scrubbing down these areas with a paper towel.  (No, I don't use Viva—just whatever's cheap and comes in a "select-a-size" version.)

Now I was ready to tone down the color, so I pulled out my set of Portland Greys.  Every mixture from this point on had some grey added to it.  Again, I kept "cool light" in mind as I mixed and painted. By the way, you'll note that, on the horizon, a wedge of land has sneaked in.  This wasn't in my original design.  It has become an unfortunate habit, no doubt picked up while painting countless seascapes with boring, empty horizon lines, that I seem to want something there.  In the final version, I removed it, and I think the painting is the better for it. See the image at the top of the post for the finished version.

Here are the colors I used in this painting:  titanitum-zinc white, cadmium yellow light, naphthol scarlet, alizarin crimson, quinacridone magenta, cerulean blue hue, viridian, phthalo emerald, Portland grey (all three values.)  All colors and mediums are by Gamblin; I used Galkyd Gel at every step so each layer would be dry by the next day.  Brushes used are Rosemary sable flats, except for the initial block-in, when I used cheap synthetic flats to scrub in the color.

What Do Plein Air Painters Do in the Winter?

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Ready, set -- go!
A 36x12 toned for a painting of Scotland.
Why violet?  It'll go well with all that green.

What do plein air painters do in the winter?  Well, if it's not too cold and not too snowy, I go out.  You've probably seen some of my snow sketches and paintings over the years.  But what if the weather is worse?  Then I retreat to the studio.

These past couple of weeks, we've had cold mornings (18°F or lower) and snow.  (Should I mention that the snow turns to mud here?) Sure, I've painted in worse.  But honestly, the only thing I get out of bad-weather painting is bragging rights.  I've realized it does nothing to advance my skills as as painter.  These days, I'd rather take a photograph.

For me, winter weather is the time for a studio project.  As you may have read, I'm planning a month-long trip to Scotland next fall.  One of my goals for that trip is to gather enough reference material for a book on Scotland as part of my Through a Painter's Brush series.  

As of this moment, I have enough material from previous trips to forge ahead on a few large studio paintings for the book.  (By the way, if you'd like to support my trip and get a small painting and/or the book, you can get details here.)  

Going through my photographs, video clips and plein air sketches helps me relive the moment and re-creates the excitement I felt while traveling.  (I'll share some photos of my past Scottish travels below.)  I've already got the first canvas toned and on the easel, so I'm ready to go.  I'll be posting all the work on my Instagram account, so stay tuned!  

In Scotland, I've painted through
sun, showers and...

...even sheep.

Help Me Get Back to Bonnie Scotland

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Eilean Donan Castle
I won't be going here on this next trip, but I'm sure to find
castles wherever I go!

I'm not sure if it's something in my DNA, but lately I've had an urge to return to Scotland.  Both sides of my family have roots there, so maybe this is similar to what salmon go through when they get the ancient call to return home.  To be honest, I can't stop scrolling through the hundreds of photos of beautiful scenery from my last two trips, making myself just a tad miserable.

Well, now I've decided to do something about it.  In September 2024, I'm going to spend an entire month in Scotland, painting.  Bring on the guidebooks!

But how to get there?  I've just been reading about the explorer, Sir Joseph Banks, who went with Captain James Cook to the South Pacific.  Banks was very wealthy, even by the standards of 18th century aristocracy; he was able not only to pay for his own passage but even for a few assistants.  Yet he was unusual among explorers, as most of his kind had to solicit support from patrons.  This wasn't a one-way street, however, as patrons always received something in return.  If it wasn't goods from the trip, it was at least a lengthy "thank you" in whatever hefty travelogue that was eventually published.

If you haven't guessed already, I am asking for your support for this trip.  I promise you'll get more than a "thank you."  I offer two options: You can get a painting, or you can get a painting and a copy of my new book.  THROUGH A PAINTER'S BRUSH: SCOTLAND will be like my other PAINTER’S BRUSH books (all available at Amazon), filled with images of my paintings and photos plus personal essays and journal entries. 

Here's a draft of the cover

I'm running this program through my Patreon page, which offers different levels of subscription. Here are the details:

At $25/month.  When you reach $300, I'll put you on the list for receiving a framed 6x8 painting of Scottish scenery based on the reference materials (gouache sketches, pencil drawings, photos) I gather on the trip.  I offered this last time, and everyone was extremely pleased with the paintings they received. I would expect to ship the paintings in time for Christmas 2024. Shipping to the lower 48 US states is included. (Other countries will be extra.)

At $28/month. When you reach $335, you'll not only get a 6x8 painting but also the new book.  I plan to have this out in the spring of 2025 with approximately 120 pages. Shipping directly from Amazon to the lower 48 states is included. (Other countries will be extra.)

You can get more details and sign up here.  Of course, it you would prefer to pay the whole amount up front and not deal with Patreon, just let me know directly.  Also, it's a policy of "first come, first served."  

BY THE WAY, we are considering opening up one week as a painting retreat for a few participants.  If interested, let me know!  You need to be an experienced painter.

I’ve been to Scotland twice before.  I painted on the Isle of Skye, the Central Lowlands (including Stirling Castle!), and also Orkney (where I have family roots.)  This third trip will take me to Aberdeenshire, the Cairngorms and elsewhere on Scotland's east coast.  The country is an enchanting place with a vast variety of stunning landscapes, and I am eager to go back and paint some more and to share my experience with you.  I will be grateful for your support.  In the meantime, here are some photos from my last trips:

Painting at Talisker Bay

Near Glencoe

The Cuillins

The Scottish Colourists

Samuel Peploe:  "Tulips--the Blue Jug"
National Galleries Scotland

As you might remember, we had scheduled an Isle of Skye painting retreat for this past summer.  But, as with many plans for 2020, things changed.  And because we didn't know what the summer of 2021 would be like—would the vaccine come soon enough?—we cautiously rescheduled it a little farther out, for 2022.

But this hasn't stopped us from yearning.  Our Google Chromecast device, hooked up to our TV, tempts us with a slideshow from our past trips whenever we're waiting for a movie to load from Amazon.  It's a joy to see—you can't take a bad photo anywhere on the Isle of Skye—and a reminder of what we'll find waiting for us when we do get back.

Recently, Trina came across a Zoom lecture series on the Scottish Colourists.  Having seen an exhibit of their work at Glasgow's Kelvingrove Museum a few years ago, I immediately signed up.  Four hour-long lectures for only 12£ (a little over $16 USD)—a real bargain.

“An Introduction to the Lives and Works of the Scottish Colourists,” hosted by the Berwick Educational Association and presented by Prof. Maria Chester, set the scene by examining the historic relationship of Scotland and France—a necessary step, since the Colourists spent most of their painting years in France—and then, after an overview of what the Colourists were all about, dived into detailed biographies of each of the four artists.  Although their paintings excited me at the Kelvingrove, I still didn't know much about them, so I enjoyed learning more through this very professional presentation.

So who where the Scottish Colourists?  From the National Galleries Scotland web site:

The term ‘Scottish Colourists’ describes four Scottish painters, Samuel John Peploe, F.C.B. Cadell, G.L Hunter and J.D. Fergusson, a set of radical artists in their day who enlivened the Scottish art scene with the fresh vibrancy of French Fauvist colours. Although the name suggests they were all living and working together in Scotland, they were not a close knit group with a specific set of aims, and only exhibited together on three occasions while they were all still alive.

Although early paintings suffer from a rather dull, tonalist style, their time in early 20th century France drenched their later work in color.  Portraits, landscapes and still lifes all pulse with color—not quite as crazy as some Fauvist work, but exciting nevertheless.

You can read more about them here:  https://www.nationalgalleries.org/art-and-artists/glossary-terms/scottish-colourists

Next time we're in Scotland, I'm hoping to see more of their work.

F.C.B. Cadell: "Iona Croft"
National Galleries Scotland

J.D. Fergusson: "La Voile Persan"
Hunterian Museum and Art Gallery

G.L. Hunter: "Still Life"
Dundee Art Galleries and Museum

Old Man of Hoy

Old Man of Hoy
18x22 Oil/Cold Wax
Available

We haven't had much snow this winter, but what we have had is sticking around.  It's slow to melt.  And when it does melt, it makes mud.  The dirt road up the mesa behind us, where I like to walk to clear my mind, has been deep in mud for weeks now.  A recent warm spell has dried it up a little, but it's still long stretches of mud bracketed by shorter stretches of dry.  Now on my walks, at the end of a dry stretch, I leave the road and step carefully through the cacti and sandstone outcrops that line it.  Although the area off the road is also muddy, little clumps of bunch grass serve as stepping stones.  The clumps sit a few inches above mud level, and if I'm careful, I can carry on, unsullied.

The mud has hindered my plein air painting.  So, I've been doing more studio work this winter.  With another trip to Scotland coming up in June, I've been revisiting in my mind our trip to Orkney two years ago.  This week, I made a painting of the Old Man of Hoy, a well-known sea stack just off the island of Hoy.

I first caught a glimpse of the Old Man from the ferry that runs from Thurso, in the north of Scotland, to Stromness on Orkney's “Mainland.”  As we rounded the towering cliffs of the southern tip of Hoy, the Old Man suddenly came into view.  It truly does have the proportions of a human, although on a gargantuan scale.  Nearly 450 feet tall, it is one of the tallest sea stacks in England.  Composed of layers of red sandstone, it is separated from the main cliff of Hoy by a 200-foot gap.  Although it looks ancient—you might think it dates back to the prehistoric times of the Picts—it came into being some time after 1750.  Experts say it may not last much longer because of the fierceness of the sea and the softness of the stone.  Here's how it looked in 1817, when it had two legs, in a painting by the artist William Daniell:

And here's how it looks today.  Once we got to Orkney, we took a day trip to Hoy, where we took the long hike out to the cliff that overlooks the Old Man. It was a blustery day, churning with mizzle, and my old Gore-Tex coat finally breathed its last and I got soaked.  But the view!  I teetered right on the edge with the wind snatching at my coat as I peered across the gap at the Old Man.

For my painting, I decided first to sketch out a number of possibilities in pencil.  I offered these up to my followers on Facebook and Instagram and asked them to vote for one.  (I here now apologize to them, as I didn't use their choice.)  Next, because cool colors were going to dominate in the painting, I toned my 18x22 panel with Gamblin's Permanent Orange to add a warm note.  I completed the painting with my current palette of three secondary colors—Permanent Orange, Dioxazine Purple, Phthalo Green—and lots of Gamblin Portland Grey. I also used Gamblin's Cold Wax Medium to create an impasto and add translucency.

This painting is not meant to be a photographic representation of the Old Man.  I took  liberties with the scene.  Among them, I lowered the cliff on the left to make the Old Man rise taller; pushed the saturation of the colors; and abstracted the foreground.  The painting is more about feeling and texture.

Design sketches

18x22 panel toned with Gamblin's Permanent Orange,
plus the design transfer

Block-in.
I ultimately eliminated that sunlit green patch on the cliff bottom.

Old Man of Hoy
18x22 Oil/Cold Wax
Available

Close-up of texture

Close-up of texture

A Scotland Painting

Dreaming of Skye

36x36 Oil

Available

In my last post, I spoke about winter painting—but winter is also a time to look forward to painting in warmer times. This winter, I'm looking forward to Scotland! Trina and I will be leading a painting retreat on the Isle of Skye in June. This will be my third trip to Scotland and Trina's second; and who knows, maybe we'll just end up buying that little crofter's house by the water. But in the meantime, I wanted to paint a picture of that house and the beautiful country around it.

For this painting, I decided to continue my experimentation with a limited palette of only secondary colors from Gamblin: permanent orange, dioxazine purple and phthalo green. (Read my previous blog post about my approach here.) I'm finding this palette extremely useful for painting the landscape. To start with, you find the secondary colors—orange, purple and green—more often in the natural world than you do the primaries. But what's more, when you mix these secondaries to create versions of the primaries, you end up with a variety of greys. These lend an even more natural feeling to the mixtures.

In this painting, I also used a substantial amount of the three Portland Greys from Gamblin, rather than white. Although Scotland can have some very vivid colors—think "green"—the weather, more often than not, tends to greys and more muted colors. What little white (titanium-zinc) I did use I saved for the reflective highlights on water and a little in the distant sky near the horizon.

To start, I took at 36x36 gallery-wrapped canvas and applied a wash of permanent orange. Once this was dry, I gridded it with twine to help transfer a design sketch with a small brush. (See my previous post on thathere.) I followed this with a bigger brush for the block-in of approximate colors. Then I moved to a knife.

From this point on, I used two painting knives exclusively, no brushes. These were a 3-inch knife and a 1-inch knife. Using a big knife for large areas made the application of paint go much faster than with a brush; the small knife I used for small shapes, details and lines.

By the way, I based this painting on my gouache sketchbook from my last trip to Scotland, as well as a few photos. Here's the gouache study.  You'll note that the point of view in the finished painting is a bit different; I used a photo to help establish point of view.

5x8 gouache sketch

And here are sequential photos of the painting, plus the initial design sketch (4x4).  You'll note a few (small) design changes along the way.  Also, the final photo, of the finished painting, has color closer to the actual painting.  The sequence photos aren't true to the color.

Done.