“Welcome to our studio and thank you for dropping by to view this miniature Masterworks oil painting, ‘Afternoon Tea’. One of a series of paintings in a collection that celebrates the output of local producers and artisans from the Highlands of Scotland.

An idyllic Summer's day - the garden table set with local goodies, including rounds of 'millionaire' shortbread, baked to perfection. Drop scones from our own kitchen, dripping with a conserve of locally grown raspberries. Amber coloured honey glowing in its jar, whose taste and aroma yields up the intensity of the heather blooms from which it has been harvested by local bees. Full-bloomed roses freshly cut. What better way to relax with friends?

Producing a miniature such as this, requires every bit as much attention to the techniques and method used to achieve the desired outcome, as I would exploit and utilise for one of my largest Masterworks oil paintings. The entire process requires considerable patience, there is simply no rushing it.

The whole composition relies on the back-lighting of the late-afternoon sunlight dappling through the elements. Instead of the light creating immediate form - as it would if it were entering from the side; here it lands to break up the shapes and almost blinds us with the brightness of its highlights.

What a challenge to capture in paint and the sheer joy of dripping on those tiny highlights of paint to glass and metal. Many layers of paint and glaze were required to create the necessary depth of colour and texture to express the light fully.”

Paul Taggart

Artist : Author : Presenter : Producer