Once Upon A Time
Artists & Illustrators|October 2020
BBC presenter and painter Lachlan Goudie tells Steve Pill why he is retelling the story of Scottish art and how his daughter’s princess obsession inspired his new work
Steve Pill
Once Upon A Time
They say never judge a book by its cover, yet the painting on the dust jacket of Lachlan Goudie’s The Story of Scottish Art tells you everything you need to know about the text contained within.

For starters, the Arthur Melville watercolour is not a typically patriotic masterpiece; it’s no iconic Highland landscape or Henry Raeburn’s skating reverend, but rather a very personal take on what it means to be a Scottish artist.

Secondly, it wasn’t even painted in Scotland, but rather the famous Moulin Rouge dancehall in Paris. The colours were an attempt to capture the dancers’ bright tulle petticoats in pure washes of pigment at a time when “abstract art” didn’t truly exist.

And perhaps most importantly, however, it is larger than life. Melville’s original pocketbook study was less than four inches wide, yet here is a detail double that size. It allows us to see the granulating textures in all their glories and also reflects Lachlan’s approach to his subjects. As anyone who has watched his BBC documentaries will attest, he has an enthusiastic way of expanding upon the human aspects of long-dead artists and connecting us with their creative process. It stems from a pure belief in the power and joy of painting.

Denne historien er fra October 2020-utgaven av Artists & Illustrators.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

Denne historien er fra October 2020-utgaven av Artists & Illustrators.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

FLERE HISTORIER FRA ARTISTS & ILLUSTRATORSSe alt
Still life IN 3 HOURS
Artists & Illustrators

Still life IN 3 HOURS

Former BP Portrait Award runner-up FELICIA FORTE guides you through a simple, structured approach to painting alla prima that tackles dark, average and light colours in turn

time-read
5 mins  |
March 2022
Movement in composition
Artists & Illustrators

Movement in composition

Through an analysis of three masterworks, landscape painter and noted author MITCHELL ALBALA shows how you can animate landscape composition with movement

time-read
6 mins  |
March 2022
Shane Berkery
Artists & Illustrators

Shane Berkery

The Irish-Japanese artist talks to REBECCA BRADBURY about the innovative concepts and original colour combinations he brings to his figurative oil paintings from his Dublin garden studio

time-read
7 mins  |
March 2022
The Working Artist
Artists & Illustrators

The Working Artist

Something old, something new... Our columnist LAURA BOSWELL has expert advice for balancing fresh ideas with completing half-finished work

time-read
2 mins  |
March 2022
Washes AND GLAZES
Artists & Illustrators

Washes AND GLAZES

Art Academy’s ROB PEPPER introduces an in-depth guide to incorporating various techniques into your next masterpiece. Artwork by STAN MILLER, CHRIS ROBINSON and MICHELE ILLING

time-read
7 mins  |
March 2022
Hands
Artists & Illustrators

Hands

LAURA SMITH continues her new four-part series, which encourages you to draw elements of old master paintings, and this month’s focus is on capturing hands

time-read
7 mins  |
March 2022
Vincent van Gogh
Artists & Illustrators

Vincent van Gogh

To celebrate The Courtauld’s forthcoming landmark display of the troubled Dutch master’s self-portraits, STEVE PILL looks at the stories behind 10 of the most dramatic works on display

time-read
6 mins  |
March 2022
BRING THE drama
Artists & Illustrators

BRING THE drama

Join international watercolour maestro ALVARO CASTAGNET in London’s West End to paint a dramatic street scene

time-read
7 mins  |
March 2022
Serena Rowe
Artists & Illustrators

Serena Rowe

The Scottish painter tells STEVE PILL why time is precious, why emotional responses to colour are useful, and how she finds focus every day with the help of her studio wall

time-read
8 mins  |
March 2022
Bill Jacklin
Artists & Illustrators

Bill Jacklin

Chatting over Zoom as he recovers from appendicitis, the Royal Academician tells STEVE PILL about classic scrapes in New York and his recent experiments with illustration

time-read
8 mins  |
March 2022