16 artistMarch 2020 http://www.painters-online.co.uk
IN CONVERSATION
w
G
eorge Gilbert’s atmospheric
paintings have won him many
accolades. George bases his
work on his own environment
and surroundings and enjoys conveying
light and creating a sense of texture. ‘I
have always been interested in painting
techniques, and my preferred working
materials are acrylic, watercolour
and pen and ink wash. Acrylic is very
flexible and can be built up in layers,
from impasto to translucent glazes.
Watercolour is fluid and I enjoy the
challenge of using it when working on
a large scale. Pen and ink washes are
great for recording information when
travelling or simply away from the
studio.’Rich source material
‘Where I live I have access to interesting
villages, harbours and landscape. Also,Animated by light
Scottish artist George Gilbert tells Susie Hodge how the Glasgow Boys
influenced his passion for realism and working with a restricted palette
my wife and I try to have two trips to
mainland Europe every year: six weeks
in the spring and six in the autumn. Our
favourite places are Catalonia – both
sides of the border – and La Drôme
(or Haute Provence). While away I do
a lot of pen and wash drawings and
watercolours. A subject that interests
me can lead to a series of paintings
on a theme in different media. For
example, my wife has an allotment and
when I was helping out there, I noticed
a group of old farm buildings. This led
to a group of paintings (one of which
won two awards) and drawings which
may become an exhibition. Four are
watercolours, fourteen are pen and
wash.
‘I have been influenced by many
artists, including the Glasgow Boys, a
circle of young Scottish-based artists
who challenged traditional Scottishart, flourishing from the 1880s to
approximately 1914. With strong ties
to the city of Glasgow, the Glasgow
Boys had a passion for realism and
naturalism and for painting en plein air
using fresh colours.’Strong drawing
‘My current studio is a large shed in
the garden, where I spend a lot of time
considering ideas and making sketches.
I paint a lot of still lifes as I have
collected many interesting objects, but
I try to avoid formal arrangements and
look for happy accidents. Occasionally
I work from drawings, but never from
photos, and sometimes I translate a
watercolour into acrylic or vice versa.
‘I also enjoy working out of doors.
I have a van that serves as a mobile
studio that gives me some privacy as
well as protection from the elements.
Of course, I can’t always park in the
ideal place, in which case I have a
box of materials and a stool. When we
travel, the van becomes our home as
well as my studio.’
When talking about his style and
methods, George says ‘I always start
a painting by drawing to establish the
arrangement and proportions. A strong
drawing is the basis of a good painting.
With acrylics, I begin with thin washes
then build up impasto and finish with
translucent glazes. I have never used
masking fluid – I have found other
ways – scraping or sponging to remove
excess paint. My aim is to paint thingst From Braehead, St Monans, pen and ink
wash on paper, 134 3 26in (35 3 66cm).
George has used pen in various ways, from
the tip to form expressive lines, to hatching,
stippling and diluted into washes; each
method creates diferent textural efects, such
as the roof tiles and the bark of the tall tree in
the right-hand foregroundp