Shorter trip to New Orleans this time and the weather was erratic. One morning there’d be frost on the ground, the next I’d be swealtering in a t-shirt. Fair bit of rain too. I’d thought this trip I’d get out of town and paint in rural Louisana and the swamp and marshland but, conversely, the best place to paint when it’s raining is in the Quarter under the awnings.

In the Bywater 25×35 cm

Royal St 30×60 cm

Chartres St 30×60 cm

Frady’s One Stop 30×40 cm

Barrack’s St 30×60 cm

N Rocheblave & Orleans 25×30 cm

Immediately to my left in the one above was a burned out building from a fire a few days earlier. I met the neighbours of the burned house and they took me inside. Though completely blackened, much of the old grand wood panelling was still intact. You could tell how beautiful it used to be. It reminded me of the Titanic.

Yscloskey 30×60 cm

Local plein air hero and painter friend Phil Sandusky recommended I visit Yscloskey, a nearby fishing village. It proved to be both beautiful and fascincating. About four boatfuls of oysters were delivered to the dock in the front of the painting during the first two-hour session I had there. Whilst painting the sketch below, a man came out to chat and wouldn’t let me go back to New Orleans without taking some of the Redfish he’d caught that day with me.

Yscloskey ii 25×30 cm

The last one is the only one vaguely approaching exploring the swamp. It was done on the one day I got out there and had about an hour to paint. You have to keep an eye out for the alligators that cross the path you walk in on and for the venemous Cottonmouth snakes. I saw three the day I was there.

Jean Laffite National Park 30×40 cm

Rome had been high on my list of places to paint for some time. Like many visitors, I was struck by the feeling that Rome exists on a scale that other Italian cities don’t. Not to mention the juxtaposition of titanic ancient structures and Renaissance opulence. I actaully like a lot of the fascist architecture too, aesthetically speaking. I had thought before I went that it would be these strange marriages that I’d seek out – baroque facades built on top of temple ruins; the crumbling walls of a bath house neatly coddled inside a busy roundabout; a warm sunset on the eery geometric columns in EUR. Instead, after a couple of weeks my painting became more programmatic than it usually is as I struck upon some themes I sought out across the whole body of work.

Via dei Vascellari 30×40 cm

I’d started off by painting in and around Trastevere, trying to avoid the crowds by seeking out narrower streets.

Via Garibaldi i 25×35 cm

Vicolo di Santa Maria in Cappella 25×35 cm

Via Garibaldi ii 30×40 cm

I also had a bash at what I thought more typically Roman subjects and views.

In Monti 30×40 cm

Ponte Sant’Angelo 25×35 cm

Largo Angelicum 30×40 cm

Santi Giovanni e Paolo from Villa Celimontana 30×40 cm

Giardino degli Aranci from the Ponte Palatino 25×35 cm

San Bernardino in Panisperna 30×40 cm

Cypresses near San Sebastian 30×40 cm

I also met up with local artists and made it out of town a couple of times. My friend Kelly Medford knows all the good spots.

Sketchers in the Campagna 25×35 cm

Farmhouse in the Campagna 25×35 cm

In the Sabine Hills 25×35 cm

I then started to think slightly differently about my compositions. I began paring down to focus more on individual objects or single elements.

Headless Statue in Villa Celimontana 25×35 cm

(I couldn’t resist painting this during one of the many weeks Italy was without a government during my stay.)

S. Giovanni Addolorata 25×30 cm

Arch of Septimus Severus 25×35 cm

Marcus Aurelius in the Campidoglio 25×35 cm

I really liked the composition of this picture but I was set up on the steps just next to the Capitoline Museum and was promptly booted off. In fairness they said I could carry on painting so long as I didn’t use an easel but after so many years that habit was hard to kick.

I began taking the individual elements I was looking at and moving them around to see what became more or less dynamic.

Fontana delle Naiadi sketch i 25×30 cm

Fontana delle Naiadi sketch ii 30×50 cm

Fontana delle Naiadi 50×60 cm

I then struck upon the idea of not only focussing on specific elements of views, but to crop them aggressively.

Santa Caterina da Siena 30×40 cm

Corte Suprema di Cassazione 30×40 cm

Monument to the Carabinieri 30×40 cm

Building in Trastevere 30×40 cm

One is usually trying as a landscape painter not to be subject-driven but to seek out compositions based on pictorial elements such as tonal arrangement, colour harmonies or a variety of shapes. I found that close-cropping to focus only on the specific element I was interested in can actually be quite liberating. The Corte Suprema di Cassation (The Supreme Court) is widely considered to be the ugliest building in Rome and I can see why. The over-rustification of the surfaces in an attempt to convey the fortitude and permanence of the seat of justice is mis-matched with the scale of the building so that at a distance, rather than appearing solid and dense, the whole thing looks like it’s covered in barnacles and faintly ridiculous. Up close however, taking in just a corner of it, I found it strangely beautiful and that picture is probably my favourite of the lot. I found that by de-contextualising specific elements, a dynamism can start to appear on the canvas. At least, that was my theory.

Entrance to San Lorenzo in Panisperna 25×35 cm

Ruined Capital in the Imperial Forums 30×40 cm

Architectural study of Santi Luca e Martina 40×60 cm

Teatro Marcello 40×60 cm

I lived on the edge of Monti near the Papal Basilica Santa Maria Maggiore which became a bit of an obsession. It’s got a suitably ornate baroque facade which I ignored completely in favour of the magnificent apse protruding from the rear. I tried to use the angles created by the drum shape against the flat of the wall to create dynamic movement.

Santa Maria Maggiore i 25×35 cm

Santa Maria Maggiore ii 50×70 cm

Santa Maria Maggiore iv 50×60 cm

Santa Maria Maggiore niche 25×35 cm

Santa Maria Maggiore iv 20×30 cm

There were more pictures of Santa Maria Maggiore besides, but as with most experiments there were a number of casualties along the way.

This trip to New Orleans I had a little longer to paint – nine weeks in total – though as, coincidentally, I was there over Mardi Gras, some of my mornings started a little later than they might have otherwise. Returning to the city I found it every bit as inspiring as I had done the first time, but I also had the pleasure of being there long enough to witness just how a creative place it is and got the chance to join in on several historic traditions, namely, costume crafting for the many and invariably outstanding parades and parties. I’ve been painting in oils for about ten years now, but can barely imagine how I got by before the hot glue gun became a part of my daily life.

North Galvez St 40×50 cm

St Ferdinand St 50×60 cm

Franklin Ave 20×40 cm

I spent quite a bit of time painting in the Marigny and the Bywater, beautiful areas to the east of the Quarter, replete with the attractive typical architecture but freer of tourists.

The Gates to Audubon Park 50×60 cm

North Dorgenois St 25×30 cm

North Galvez and Esplanade 25×30 cm

St Ferdinand Shotgun 25×30 cm

Dauphine Shadows 25×30 cm

Governor Nicholls St 25×30 cm

Path on Esplanade 25×30 cm

I would also head to the park for variety.

Patrick J Butler Memorial 30×40 cm

Sun and Palms 25×30 cm

Shadows in the Park 40×50 cm

Dauphine St In the Quarter 20×40 cm

N Galvez Palms 30×40 cm

Alice and Esme’s 25×30 cm

N Galvez Porch 30×60 cm

Esplanade Shadows 25×30 cm

Bayou Rd 25×30 cm

N Galvez House 40×50 cm

This last one was of a beautiful house in my neighbourhood. Its owners had spotted it first when they were 19 and made a decision that one day they would live there. Twenty five years later they owned it, celebrating their fiftieth birthdays there and whilst I was in town they celebrated their seventy-fifth.

I was recently asked to make three paintings in and around a farm in Perthshire, a fun project for me as it was near where I grew up and the landscape there reminds me of my childhood. Other painters I know have drawn connections between childhoods spent outdoors and the later joy of landscape painting, and I’ve felt something of that rings true for me too.

Drumphin from Ardbennie 50×70 cm

The Muddy Gate 60×80 cm

Drumphin 60×80 cm

As with all projects, I did a good bit of scouting for compositional ideas to explore what worked and what didn’t before committing to the larger canvasses. The second and third paintings were to be hung as a pair so I had to find compositions that would be sympathetic to one another.

Drumphin from Ardbennie sketch 25×30 cm

The Muddy Gate sketch 25×30 cm

Drumphin sketch 25×30 cm

Here are some compositional ideas that didn’t make the cut.

Ardbennie from Drumphin sketch 25×30 cm

View across the farms sketch 30×40 cm

The big difference between the sketches and the larger pictures is that you get so much more time to think about big ones as they take longer to paint and you end up standing in front of the subjects for so much longer. One of the advantages of working from life this way is that you see the subject change over time, and can adjust your picture when something changes in a way you like. In the third painting for instance I liked the longer shadows of the early morning. That something has worked as a sketch however doesn’t necessarily mean it’ll work as a big picture. This last sketch very nearly became one of the final paintings. I tried three different times to do a large version of this and each time it failed. Perhaps the rather slapdash markmaking of a sketch disguises the fact there is just not enough material there to make a really interesting painting. I’m still not entirely sure. There were several other sketches too that I felt failed early on enough to be able to rule out as ideas. On a seperate note, I’m going to start photographing the paintings properly, these iPhone pics just dont cut it.

Here are some pictures from a recent trip to New Orleans. One of the great things about the city is that it must be one of the few in the States that are easy to get around by bicycle. The famously eclectic range of influences – French, Spanish, African, Caribbean – mean that much of it is visually stunning. I found the wooden, porched “shotgun” houses – each different from its neighbouring ones – charming, and the French Quarter, with its long wrought iron balconies and hanging baskets was delightful (if you can keep out of the most densely touristed parts). There are wide, leafy boulevards, open parks with massive, bearded live-oaks and rattling streetcars besides. If there’s one compositional similarity I noticed between the paintings, it’s that they’re almost all painted under the shade of trees – a total necessity in the 35 degree sun.

In the Bywater 9×12 inches

In the Marigny 9×12 inches

In the Bywater ii 9×12 inches

The first day I painted, I by chance found myself stood outside a house bearing a plaque with the name Edgar Degas. Curious, I popped in and the woman inside explained that his mother had come from the city and that he had spent several months there, painting, in 1873. A Cotton Office in New Orleans was from this time. After showing me the room he slept in and used as a studio (big windows, north facing) I learned that she was the great-granddaughter of Degas’ younger brother. Astonishingly, her own daughter and son-in-law had worked at my primary school in Dunbar and I had known them both.

On the Esplanade, near the Degas House 9×12 inches

Grey Day in the Quarter 9×12 inches

Louisiana is home to huge amounts of swamp, and whilst I didn’t get to paint any this time, I found some of the massive live oaks in the city park, generously adorned with Spanish Moss, a non-parasitic plant that lives on the trees and droops, large and beard-like, from the branches.

Live Oaks 9×12 inches

Live Oaks ii 9×12 inches

The last one is a quick sketch of Jackson Square, formerly Plaza de Armas, from the gateway after I’d been booted out of the actual square by one of the wardens.

Jackson Square 9×12 inches

There is masses to paint in New Orleans, and Louisiana besides, and I never got so much as a look in at so many of the things that interested me. Suffice to say I look forward to doing much more work there in the future.

I was able to spend around ten days in Cuba with another painting friend in July. We ended up staying in Havana for the duration as we found ourselves spoilt for subject matter, and travel would have eaten into precious working time. Havana has a gloriously eclectic variety of architecture, not to mention the famous classic cars. Looking back over the work though, it seems to have been the human activity that really interested us most: crowded streets; people huddled under the shade of trees; rickshaw drivers taking a break. Street life moved at a tremendous pace and it was as much as one could do to indicate a scene before it changed completely. Here are some of the sketches.

Evening at Parque Central 25×30 cm

Cuba Tacón at Midday 25×30 cm

Calle Compostela 25×30 cm

We were struck by the crowds that gathered in the squares at night to argue loudly about anything from football to philosophy (I was told by a Spanish speaking friend). They constantly looked like they were on the verge of kicking off, but after a while we realised this was just how they communicated. They were amused by our paintings though and also argued about who was who in the pictures.

Hanging Out in Parque Central 25×30 cm

Cuban Doorway 25×30 cm

After the Rain 25×30 cm

The street musicians, of whom there were many, were invariably excellent, though tourist-orientated repertoires seldom did justice to their talents.

Street Musicians 25×30 cm

Morning Market at Plaza de Armas 25×30 cm

Rickshaw Drivers Resting 25×30 cm

Painting in the street usually attracts lots of people who want a chat, a photo, or sometimes to offer advice. It’s quite a good way of getting to talk to lots of people you might not ordinarily meet. All the people who came and chatted to us were extremely polite and interested in what we were doing. It turns out there are a lot of artists in Havana too; the heart-breaking thing was how incredulous they were, for instance, at the number of paintbrushes we had. Painting materials, like many things in Cuba, are extremely hard to come by; some people even described to us how they make their own brushes.

Sun on Calle Compostela 30×40 cm

Rickshaws ii 20×30 cm

Day’s End at Parque Central 30×40 cm

Ten days in the one city alone barely scratched the surface of what Cuba has to offer and next time I would certainly try to see more of the country. We enjoyed our time in Havana though and I think the trip was a successful one. That said, if I have to listen to Guantanamera one more time…

I meant to have short painting trip on the West Coast about a month ago. It rained almost non-stop the entire time I was there, and then my car broke down and I had to go home early. I got out occasionally in-between the showers though and I came across the sketches the other day, most were aborted but here is one that survived the downpours.

Looking toward Glenuig Bay 25×30 cm

What makes the bad weather worse is just how beautiful it becomes when the rain stops. I’ll post some of the others after touching up…

I was able to spend around a fortnight in Les Houches, Chamonix this winter for some Alpine painting. This was the warmest winter on record and there was hardly any snow for the skiers. The warm weather was great for my purposes though and I like the look of patchy snow anyway. Here are a few of the sketches.

Les Jeurs, Switzerland 25×30 cm

Montroc-Le-Planet 25×30 cm

Chalets at Montroc 25×30 cm

Afternoon Sun 20x30cm

One thing I learned about alpine painting is that views compose much better if you can get the peaks shoulder height. Getting high up into the mountains opens up the views and means one is not stuck in the valley staring skywards all the time.

Melting Snow above Les Houches 20×30 cm

Chalet roofs at Plan de la Cry 30×40 cm

Melting Snowman 30×40 cm

Plan de la Cry 25×30 cm

Downstream 25×30 cm

One of the great things about Les Houches is that is is right on the border of both Switzerland and Italy. Though these countries are separated only by arbitrary lines, I seem to find the character changes even just a few miles in: Switzerland is more dramatic, Italy more romantic. It can be worth spending the day painting in Italy for the lunchtime pizza alone.

Above Les Jeurs, Switzerland 25×30 cm

Shadows at La Thuile, Italy 25×30 cm

Morning Sun, Les Houches 25×30 cm

Due to the relatively short length of my trip, I restricted myself to small working sizes. I did get out once with a larger canvas, though paradoxically this was the only time the light failed me.

At Les Jeurs, Switzerland 50×60 cm (unfinished)

I spent a very short two days on the West Coast last week as I went to meet a gallery. We were still enjoying the good weather and I managed to get a little work done. Most importantly, in late September I managed to miss the midges. Of all obstacles presented to the outdoor painter, I’ve yet to encounter anything I like less than midges. I’ve tried painting under a midge net in the past, but all the paintings come out grey. If the West Coast were like it was this time every week though, there would seldom be need to go anywhere else.

Evening, Looking across Kinlochmoidart 24×30 cm

Loch Sunart from Resipole Studios 24×30 cm

Loch Sunart 24×30 cm

One of the things that makes many of the lochs on the West Coast so interesting is that they are tidal, so twice a day the entire landscape changes as it transforms from water to mud flats and back again.

Tide Out, Loch Linnhe 24×30 cm

These are a selection of sketches painted over the summer in Edinburgh. This was, in many ways, my first attempt to paint street scenes in earnest as I’ve always been put off by the crowds. Inner-city painting provides new challenges in terms of continually changing subjects, not to mention all the usual problems of painting outdoors: wind and rain etc. Many visitors to Edinburgh comment on its famous ‘four seasons in a day’ weather. I can testify to this, though would reduce the time scale to about half an hour.

New College from St Giles’ St 24×30 cm

George St, Looking West 24×30 cm

Chambers St 24×30 cm

George St, Evening, Looking East 24×30 cm

Heriot Row 24×30 cm

Moray Place 24×30 cm

Evening from the Mound, Looking North 24×30 cm

These last two were painted very quickly one evening during last week’s glorious indian summer.

The Royal Society Building 24×30 cm

Evening, George St 24×30 cm