Painting Charles Burnett Esq.

Today, my wife and I met Charles Burnett Esq. at the Royal Scots Club to present him with the oil study that I begun in the Summer of 2016. It was one of those overcast but incredibly bright afternoons, where the clouds formed the ideal backdrop to the skyline of Edinburgh, and the Castle stood proudly, looking down on the chimneys and roofs. It was the first time that Charles saw the painting since he had given me the last sitting in December. Since then I had painted the Tudor style bonnet of his uniform and added his armorial bearings.

This project was born almost a year ago, at the end of May, when a group of members of the Heraldry Society of Scotland were having lunch. I had been pondering over the idea of painting a portrait of Charles, because I admire and respect him very much, and as an artist I was also captivated by the painterly uniform of an Officer of Arms.

Those who know Charles Burnett will see all that he stands for; his encyclopaedic knowledge on heraldic and historical matters and the great contribution he has made to the Scottish culture. Yet, during our sittings, I got to know more about the man himself, a genuine gentleman of extraordinary warmth, who gives of his time and knowledge generously and who treats others with great deference and empathy. Once more, I feel that my life has been enriched by painting such a gentleman.

On a philosophical level, portraiture is a response to the human inclination to think about others and oneself. Therefore, I feel that my work consists in balancing this apparent dichotomy so each portrait represents the subject seen through my eyes. The painting conveys my interpretation and what I was able to capture, not at one moment, but over a period of time. 

I would like to thank Charles for being so encouraging and coming over to Fife for the sittings. I am also grateful for his tremendous help with my personal heraldic research and petition.

Many thanks to The Much Hon. Duncan Paisley of Westerlea for suggesting the idea to Charles.

Finally, I am very grateful for the generosity of those who contributed to the beautiful frame:

• Dr Joseph J. Morrow QC, Lord Lyon King of Arms
• Liam Devlin Esq., Unicorn Pursuivant of Arms
• The Much Hon. Charles Ross of Biggar
• Dr. Marten Baumgartner
• and a generous lady who contributed but chose to remain anonymous.

2017, Study in oils on panel (18 x 24 inch. 45 x 61 cm). Private collection.

“Charles John Burnett Esq. (b. 1940)
Ross Herald Extraordinary (2011-2015), Ross Herald (1988), Dingwall Pursuivant (1983), Knight of Justice of the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of St  John of Jerusalem (1990), Knight of the Italian Order of St Maurice and St Lazarus (1999), Knight of the Italian Order of Francis I (2002), Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries (1964), Vice-President of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland (1992-95), Curator of Fine Art, National Museums of Scotland (1985), MLitt., University of Edinburgh (1992), Chamberlain of Duff House, Banff (1997-2004), Founder, Third President and President Emeritus of the Heraldry Society of Scotland (1989), Trustee of the St Andrews Fund of Scots Heraldry (1995-2015), President 27th International Congress of Genealogical and Heraldic Sciences in St Andrews (2006). Holder of The Queen’s Golden and Diamond Jubilee Medals and the Service Medal with two Clasps of the Most Venerable Order of St John. Author and co-author of one hundred and fifty-two books and articles on Heraldry and Scottish history. Married to Aileen Elizabeth Burnett (Nee McIntyre) with whom he has a daughter and two sons.”

— "Officers of Arms in Scotland 1290 - 2016" - The Scottish Record Society

A wonderful day of work

A few days ago Charles J. Burnett Esq., former Ross Herald and current President Emeritus of the Heraldry Society of Scotland, gave me one more sitting in Falkland. Sittings are an important part of the process of painting a portrait from life as they allow me to collect visual and non visual information. 

I began painting a colour study of Burnett a couple of months ago which would be useful when painting a larger portrait, perhaps depicting him wearing the painterly tabard of the Scottish Officers of Arms. When my noble guest first sat for me, I painted my subject just as I saw him, wearing an elegant day suit and tie. But as I pondered over the sketch alone in my studio, I felt it would be much more appealing to include his former uniform of an Officer of Arms, which is of an intense red, and would add more vibrancy to the whole study.

Before arranging the second sitting, I met Burnett in Edinburgh at a lecture where I got his latest book: "Officers of Arms in Scotland 1290 - 2016" published by the Scottish Record Society. I asked him if, perhaps, he could get hold of the uniform, otherwise I was going to improvise a costume with the many pieces of velvet cloth that I collect as my props.

Fortunately, the Lord Lyon allowed my sitter to borrow the livery jacket of a Scottish Officer of Arms. So during our second sitting I had much fun covering over the business suit with Venetian red and Vermilion paint and suggesting the medals and decorations of my subject (The bonnet will have to be painted from imagination and relying on a couple of photographs. After all, this is a study and I must always remind myself that I don't have to finish everything in a study, that often, less is more).

In my previous article I included two photographs of the first sitting which give an idea of the stage at which we left the study. The following two images illustrate what we achieved by the end of our second sitting.

What the images cannot convey is the non visual information that one gathers during a sitting; conversation being an important way of becoming acquainted with the subject. Of course, it does help when the subject is engaging and there are common interests to ignite informative discussions. In this case, our common interests were probably more of a hindrance for me, who had lots of questions on heraldry that Burnett kindly and patiently answered.

I found myself so absorbed, that I ended up painting an additional medal on his jacket and I even rinsed my paint-loaded brush in my cup of tea by mistake! That, of course, was less hazardous than if one had drunk from the cup of mineral spirits. Another argument in favour of those who argue against eating and painting at the same time!

Indeed, it was fun and a most wonderful day of work.

Artful sunshine in Falkland

Warmth and sunshine continue to visit the Kingdom of Fife!

The pictures below show the beginning of a colour study in oils that kept us busy in the studio.  Of course, my distinguished sitter and I just had to venture out for lunch and a stroll in Falkland.

Naturally, with all that sunshine I could not resist sketching the golden fields at the Pillars of Hercules, followed by a long walk during the weekend. Falkland at its best!

While the Summer lasts...

We had three most beautiful days of warm sunshine in Fife. Going to the beach was in order. We spent a lovely Tuesday at East Sands Beach in St Andrews with a nice crowd of friends. The children loved it.

There was always time to take the paints out and record the glorious vista... of course, an artist needs energy to paint and couldn't refuse the kind offer of a tasty burger!

Photographs courtesy of Michael Ross, 2016, All rights reserved.

Painting Jane Paisley of Westerlea, The Lady Westerlea

Yesterday, after the Annual General Meeting of The Paisley Family Society, the portrait of Jane Paisley of Westerlea was unveiled in a brief and emotive ceremony. The painting was commissioned by Lady Westerlea's husband, The Much Hon. D. W. Paisley of Westerlea, 6th Baron of Westerlea, Chief of the Name and Arms of Westerlea and Chieftain of the Paisley Family Worldwide.

The first time I met Lady Westerlea there was an affable air about her. Naturally, she was also a little bit apprehensive. However, when she saw the painting almost complete I felt she began to breathe again. She smiled and embraced me spontaneously. That was the best reward for all the hours, days and months of toiling with my brush.

This project was most interesting. The amount of details in the composition required careful balance and a skilful execution.  Following a planning meeting with Lady Westerlea, she sat for me twice in Ardtalla, their charming Victorian home. Of course, I spent hundreds of hours in my studio working on this painting.

For the first sitting, I had suggested a light coloured dress with a silk tartan sash. Instead, Lady Westerlea preferred a brown embroidered dress that had belonged to her mother-in-law and a Westerlea Tartan woollen shawl. Both items made a statement about her role: a loving wife who had embraced the family she married into and all that this family stands for. The juxtaposition of a delicate garment with a more serviceable material produced a fascinating effect. It was city and country life combined, perhaps revealing a facet of Lady Westerlea's delicate personality.

Lady Westerlea sat for me in a handsomely carved chair in her teal room, by the window and close to the fireplace, her favourite spot where she often does sewing. Her glance contained a mixture of Scotland, womanhood and determination; a triad that fascinated me. She resembled a monarch on her throne.

I was captivated by Lady Westerlea's serene gaze and I loved the way in which her beautiful brooch sparkled in the light.

Painting a portrait alla prima in one sitting

If it was my choice I would always paint from life, because the tapestry of life offers a range of experiences that cannot be perceived by other means. The sense of dimension and environmental factors like sound, air and the human interaction must be experienced by the artist to be properly interpreted and conveyed  in the painting. The process of sitting also helps to establish a bridge between the souls of the sitter and the artist. 

Of course, sitting for a portrait is not always possible. For example, when painting a posthumous portrait, reliance on photographs is almost always the only option available. People also lead busy lives so often they simply do not have the time to sit for many sessions to have their portrait painted entirely from life. Therefore, one needs to know when and how to use photographs to supplement the information gathered during the sitting. I feel this is very important: supplement what life offers when life is unavailable, but never replace life itself.

These considerations also force the portrait painter, or at least me, to paint rapidly and make the most of every single minute I am with my sitter. Under these circumstances, it always amazes me the amount of information one can gather in two or three hours of concentrated effort. 

The illustrations below show a portrait painting demonstration I carried out yesterday at Balgonie Castle. The sitter is none the less than the Laird of Balgonie and Eddergoll, who has sat for me a few times. In that respect, I had an advantage; it was a familiar face and a face that I consider most painterly.

The images also show what can be achieved in a couple of hours of painting alla prima (directly, in one go; as opposed to the traditional way in which I paint larger pieces, working in stages and with multiple layers). Painting alla prima is a wonderful way to learn about the subject, to gather information about colour, mood and, quite simply, to achieve a fresh and painterly impression of the sitter. 

In this last photograph I have made sure that on my screen the colours appear as closely as they do in the final painting. Of course this will vary according to the calibration of your screen, that is why nothing can compare with seeing my paintings "face to face".  

Painting the Baron of North Cadbury

When my client and I discussed the methodology for this painting it became clear that we were not going to let distance become an obstacle between us. My client was in Germany, near Cologne, I was in Scotland and travelling was not practical at the time so we had to look for an alternative.

We agreed to use a combination of photographic references supplemented with life sittings by means of a video conferencing system. I worked on some compositions from my imagination and submitted some sketches. The chosen one was further developed into a colour study in oils. In turn, this became the blueprint for the final painting.

Sketch in charcoal accepted for the final composition.

Small Colour Study in Oils.

We used live the video conferencing system to discuss poses and do quick sketches. The rest had to be painted from photographs. Of course, painting only from photographs may reduce the need for travelling and the time required from the sitter, but portraits painted simply by copying a photograph can be static and lose the freshness that is evident when a portrait has been painted from life.

In order to lessen the drawbacks of relying on a single image, I relied on a varied number of high quality photographs showing different poses and expressions. I selected the best images that would give me the information I needed to complete this work successfully. This painting was executed with a Sight-Size approach.

I did not want the painting to become the photo-copy of one single image so I used a series of photographs taken from different angles and printed exactly the same size. The images were attached to a board next to my canvas and changed regularly.  This forces me to keep re-checking and adjusting what I paint. In this way, I endeavoured to achieve a similar effect as if I had been painting from life, with a subject who does not sits statue still. I hope that the result of this approach is fresher and more alike to a portrait which has been painted from life. 

The subject (in this case the photograph) is next to the canvas and painted the same size I see it from a fixed point. I used different images which I changed regularly. In this way the body "moves" and the expressions "change"a bit so I must make corrections, almost constantly, to ensure that I am achieving a likeness despite these changes, just as I would do if I was painting from life.

The amount of details present in this composition also required careful balance and a skilful execution. When many details are included, there is a risk of turning the work into a painted photograph in which every aspect is completed hyper-realistically, burying the gesture and artistic energy.

Completed painting. The Baron extends his right hand in a welcoming gesture. The background shows a view of South Cadbury. The mound which breaks the horizon line is where Cadbury Castle once was, a site rich of archaeological interest as it is believed to be the seat of Camelot, where the legendary King Arthur had his court.

We worked to produce a contemporary painting which evokes a historical period. The variations in the flow of the brush strokes and paint effects allowed for a degree of irregularity, while remaining true to the rules of realism. The result of this process is not a copy of a single image, but the amalgamation of my impressions interpreted aesthetically. 

I would like to extend my special thanks to my client for his confidence and support throughout this project. 

The image below shows the painting as it hangs in its new home in Germany.