“Welcome to our studio and thank you for dropping by to view this miniature Masterworks oil painting, Kilted Man – a one-off, a scene that I simply had to produce. A visit to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe some thirty years earlier, was where I found this gentleman in his magnificent kilt. Was he there waiting his turn to dance some highland reels, or was he simply waiting and watching as others danced around him? We will never know.

All I had by way of reference was a damaged 35mm slide – the result of a hastily snatched shot, as we passed by on our way to enjoy one of the events the Edinburgh Festival had to offer. But we never forgot him and my memory of that snatched moment was as sharp as ever when I finally set some time aside to put paint to canvas.

As with all of my compositions, this scene relies on the play of light across the clothing, coming in form the top left hand of the painting. His head, seen in profile is thrown into sharp relief, thanks to the sharp light on the left side of his face, countered by the darkest recesses of the right.

Producing a miniature such as this, requires every bit as much attention to the techniques and method used to achieve the desired outcome, as I would exploit and utilise for one of my largest Masterworks oil paintings.

The entire process requires considerable patience, there is simply no rushing it.

It gave me such pleasure to produce this miniature full-figure portrait and although now in a private collection, I sill enjoy the memory of the work that I put into it and the subsequent result. Just as we still treasure the day that we spotted the subject all those years ago.”

Paul Taggart

Artist : Author : Presenter : Producer