Camera Work: A Photographic Quarterly (1909 (Heft 28))

of drawing with the brush point. In all his pictures there is an appreciative
study of the balance of light and shade, a sense of atmosphere, and good
draughtsmanship.
A greater individuality, however, is seen in his slight sketches, impressions
rapidly noted down in a few seconds on paper, with chalk, pencil or water-
colors, or when none of these implements was at hand, with the point of a
finger dipped into ink. There are stronger contrasts, greater boldness, in
these sketches than in his finished work. A careful observation of the play of
light characterises his painting and his photography; in his paintings it is
of that peculiar quality of light that belongs to a moist climate. He was very
sensitive to that wonderful “swimming” effect of light in the sky that floods
up from the sea, behind dark hills, and reflects a memory of the sea’s surface on
the sky, an effect often seen in hilly islands, or when the sea’s inlets are long and
tortuous. With water-colors, in his youth a comparatively new medium,
his effort was to keep his colors pure and simple. He learned from William
Leech, who was frequently photographed at Carlton Hill, how to draw with
three colors only, red, blue and yellow.
When D. O. Hill embarked on the long twenty years of work on his
historical picture, he worked other than he knew. His desire was to make a
worthy record of what to him was a heroic action, the signing of the Deed of
Demission; he has certainly produced a memorial of historic value, even if
it cannot be ranked as a great work of art. The first design comprised about
200 sitters—portraits of the men who had been present on that eventful day.
But as time went on the artist included many more figures, of those who were
interested in or who supported the Secessionist Free Church party, till at length
the number exceeded 500. The difficulty of getting adequate sittings from
the various people gave to the artist the happy idea of investigating the new art
of photography. So, at first he made use of the new Calotype (from Kalos>
beautiful) or Talbotype as a method of taking notes for his picture. But
he soon became so interested in the new art, that the “means” frequently
enticed him from the “end” in view and had it not been for the urging and
actual collaboration of his wife the picture would never have been finished.
Amelia Hill was a competent collaborator. From girlhood she had worked
with pencil, brush and chisel. Her two brothers were painters of repute, and
the older, Sir Noel Paton, R. S. A. for many years held the post of Limner for
Scotland to Queen Victoria. At first Amelia Paton drew small head-studies
in pencil, occasionally to serve as models in some of her brother’s compositions.
A friend, realizing her possibilities, gave her some wax and a modeling tool,
and she began to model little portrait heads in relief and in the round. Despite
the fact that in those days women who aspired to a profession were frowned
upon, this woman-artist persevered and trained herself in the handling of clay,
and in due course became known in Scotland as a Portrait-sculptor. Her
method of work was that of “rule and measure” as she antidated the days
of conscious Impressionism. Many men of note sat to her, such as Thomas
Carlyle, Hugh Millar. Of David Livingstone, the traveler, there is a full

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