This is the finished painting from my August 31st post entitled “Painting in Progress.” I had been in the hospital for a very long time, nineteen days of which were in the intensive care unit on life support. I have been home now for almost four months. It has been very hard for me to do a painting again. My attention span and motor skills have suffered from my illness. After the horrible experience of almost losing my life, I wanted to paint something that would bring me comfort.

My maternal line is basically Scottish. Mom used to bounce me on her knee and sing a Scottish folk song. Her paternal grandmother was from England. Mom learned the love and tenderness of her grandma. Those British traits were used to raise me. I remembered an experience I had. I was walking over the Westminster Bridge in London when I heard bagpipes. Hearing bagpipes makes me cry. I hurried to where the sound was coming from. A Scotsman was standing there in his kilt playing beautiful melodies. I took video of it. This memory brought all the warmth of my mother’s tender care to me. I had to paint it.

The painting shows the buildings backlit. The people have a highlight on the top of their heads to show they are backlit, too. I have used atmospheric perspective to show depth. To do this, the persons closest are painted larger than the ones further back. The features of their faces are done very simply, because you cannot see the detail in real life when they are in a similar position. I have also tried to portray the gesture of the woman in the center while she walks.