"Heather & Heath"   16x12 Later stage

"Heather & Heath"

Kate's Comments: I have to tell you that this painting has been pure fun for me and always brings a smile to my face. I wanted to do a small piece with more animation of the figures. "Heather and Heath," with its two Scots playfully romping through the snow, was the result. Interestingly enough, from the very beginning I was able to be much freer with this piece -- perhaps I felt less intimidated due to its smaller size.

To date this piece has had two major underpaintings. You'll note that most of the underpaintings in these pictures appear rather dark. This is because I prefer to lay down my deepest and most intense colors first, and work in stages from dark to light. I believe this always adds a jewel-like quality to the highlights, especially when you're working with oils. Unlike acrylics, where light cannot penetrate the surface of the medium, light dances and plays among the translucent layers of the oils. So as these paintings progress you'll see those lighter areas develop with more clarity.

Latest stage

Next canvas