Girl on a Hill 1928

Prudence Heward’s painting 'Girl on a Hill' presents us with a figure painted with care and a somber palette. I imagine the artist's process involved a careful building up of thin layers to achieve these tonalities. The woman’s gaze is direct, serious, and contemplative. It makes me wonder what Heward was thinking, feeling, or trying to communicate through her art. The texture of the paint is relatively smooth, almost understated, but it allows the subtle gradations of color to define form, especially in the treatment of her flesh. It looks like there is no varnish, just the plain matte surface of paint. That earthy burgundy dress is so striking against the cool greens and blues of the landscape. It reminds me of the colors used by some of my painter friends. Heward makes the woman part of the landscape, part of the earth. It’s like the landscapes painted by other members of the Canadian Group of Seven—artists are always chatting to each other over time. It's a slow conversation, but a powerful one!