In search of suitable subjects - painting in Scotland with John McCutcheon

'As time passes I find myself becoming more interested in unspoiled villages with features such as rivers, trees, fields, bridges, figures etc.' said John McCutcheon in 1989.

'After many years of painting such scenes, nearly always on the spot, I now find that I get better results by doing numerous pastel studies and painting from the information so gathered.

'For example, suppose I come across an attractive subject, and having chosen a good viewpoint, make three or four pastel sketches of it. I am then able to produce an oil painting from them.

'Of course, I am always searching for certain qualities which I would like to incorporate in my work, such as colour harmony, rhythm, centre of interest, effect of light, and pattern created by dark and light areas.'

Sorn Village. Oil 20” x 24”

Close-up section of ‘Sorn Village’

With the Sorn subject, I happened to have in my studio two or three paintings of this village done on the spot.

Realising that there was ample information to be had from the canvases I produced a 24” x 20” painting. In executing this last work, however, I had more time to consider harmony rhythm, pattern etc.

I was endeavouring to produce a painting which, in my opinion, had the qualities of a work of art, not simply a recording of the scene.

Newton-Stewart

This painting depicts part of a well-known Galloway town.

It was executed using on-the-spot pastel studies. In these studies I was looking for effect of light, tonal pattern, rhythmic qualities, focal point, etc.

I chose a canvas very close to the proportions of my pastel sketches.

As for the colour scheme, I decided not to adhere strictly to those of my sketches, but to evolve one to convey the feeling of a sunny day.

First, I applied a thin wash of alizarin using turpentine. Ideally this wash should be applied the previous day.

Using large brushes I began by blocking in the large areas - sky, distance, mid-distance and foreground – trying to form an interesting pattern of dark and light.

Newton Stewart. Oil 20” x 30”

Having made a mental note of what and where my focal point was, I endeavoured to make this area as interesting as possible, contrasting tones and colours, figures and effect of light.

However, it is a good idea to carry forward the whole painting and not dwell on any one spot.

Questions to ask yourself are: Is the general pattern interesting – colour, light and dark? Is there a feeling of rhythm pervading the composition? (I think a great deal of the charm of Van Gogh’s paintings can be attributed to rhythm – the rhythm of lines and mass). Is the colour rich – umbers, golden colours, reds, etc?

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Balmaclellan

Balmaclellan. Oil 20” x 30”

I had previously produced a number of oil sketches of this interesting village, which is some 30 miles across the Galloway border.

Aiming to paint a 20” x 30” canvas I decided that if I made a pastel sketch at the actual spot, my information would be ample to tackle this size of canvas.

As before, I covered my canvas with a warm colour, light in tone; next, I blocked in large areas of dark, mid-tone and light, keeping in mind the qualities I am striving for, pattern, rhythm and good colours.

Stair

Stair. Oil 20” x 24”

Close-up of section of ‘Stair’

Stair is an interesting village in South Ayrshire consisting of an inn and a number of cottages, a sizeable stream with trees, fields and hedges forming an interesting back-cloth.

Some time previously I had painted this village on a 24” x 20” canvas.

Seeing the painting again, I realised that the composition was good, but the colour was lacking in quality, so I decided to remedy this by applying a set of rich golden colours. This paid off, for I think most people would agree that it is a pleasant rendering of a peaceful rural scene.

I find that figures always add interest to a painting, but care must be taken to ensure they are integrated into the scene. Take as an example any seascape by William McTaggart senior. Invariably he introduces figures, but they are scarcely discernible; they melt into the background.

A word or two about frames.

A well-chosen frame can work wonders for a painting. It is a good idea when visiting art exhibitions to study frames as well as the paintings, thereby developing a taste for good framing. I almost always prefer to have glass in my frames for oil paintings.

Lastly a quotation: “A picture,” wrote Degas, “is first of all a product of the imagination of the artist; it must never be a copy.”