Immaculate Heart of Mary, oil on linen, 47 x 70, finished

Here is the finished Immaculate Heart of Mary oil on linen. I wanted to show how it looks now with the process completed. Most of the final stages require cleaning up the massed in color. It is just a matter of refining the light and shadow relationships. I like to say they're like the Hatfields and McCoys because they do not like each other. Well, actually they are very independent families that need to be painted separately. I mix the light colors in one area of my palette and the shadows in another. However there can be some "bounce back" from light areas into the shadows. See where the chimney shadow is on the warm yellow house? The snow on the roof to the right becomes slightly lighter and warmer on that side–even though it is still in shade. Things like this are so beautifully interesting to me. It is something I have observed for years as an outdoor painter. Photos don't always give such subtle information.

I also fixed the perspective of some of the buildings. It is tricky because of the "worm's eye view." To help create this illusion I put the painting up really high on my easel. That way I have to look up and reach up to paint. Sometimes I have to trick my brain to get at the truth.