For many years I’ve driven past Balvaird Castle in Perthshire and felt drawn by its imposing outline, crowning a hill and framed by Scotland's glorious and changeable clouds. Little did I know that a few years ago my studio would be so close to the castle. It was especially during the Covid-19 Pandemic, that weekly walks with my son around Balvaird Castle became a regular and most welcoming distraction.
What a privilege it was when I finally met the Baron of Balvaird, Brady Brim-DeForest, and was commissioned to paint his portrait from life. Brady is a modern Lorenzo de Medici, a magnificent patron who supports many artists and craftsmen like me. Our devoted work can thrive through his encouragement of classic painting, heraldry and anything antiquarian. Each time he came to the studio it was a gift.
Some sketches showing my ideas for the painting.
Second sitting
Indeed, the greatest gift of painting this portrait was getting to know The Man himself, a most wonderful man who welcomed me into his life and offered me his friendship and support in a way often rare today. My gratitude is immense.
The portrait tells the story of two remarkable friends: the Castle and its caring custodian. As I contemplate it, somehow I can’t explain how it came to be, although I made it, inch by inch by the gentle strokes of my brush. Each painting acquires a life of its own, it grows and matures and it whispers to me.
In particular, this unique portrait takes me up the hill and around the castle. I can hear the wind whistling through the gate and tower, making the grass and trees dance, bringing me the infectious laughter of my patron, his smile and the memory of happy times in his company.
