Almanac Art: Kendra Heil’s painting goes to Susan Alberti

Hannah Scott by Kendra Heil (still on the easel)

 

The auction is closed.

 

The successful bidder is Susan Alberti.

 

Title                Hannah Scott : Premiership Player

by Kendra Heil

 

400 x 500
Acrylic on canvas

 

 

 

 

Women’s Footy Almanac editor, Kasey Symons, caught up with Kendra to talk to her about her inspiration and process in creating this stunning piece of art.

 

Kendra chose to paint Hannah Scott for more reasons than just depicting this incredible image that was snapped after the Dogs battled their way to premiership glory.

 

‘It’s a lot easier for me to paint somebody I know.’ Kendra says.

 

‘I chose Scotty (Hannah Scott) as I played at the Eastern Devils with her and I think it was a big deal for her to win the premiership. She’s always been really expressive too and that moment was just really exciting.’

 

On her process, Kendra says that intimate connection to the athletes in her art is important for her to bring her subject’s personalities and energy to life.

 

‘It’s a really intimate thing to do to spend that much time looking at a person in that amount of detail. So when I first started painting the Collingwood boys (while on the club’s list in the inaugural AFLW season), I went up and asked them first and got to know them a little bit before I painted them to make sure it was ok with them and I started painting people I know from different clubs because I know their story. It’s easier to bring out that emotion when I know who they are.

 

The Katie Loynes and the Shae Audley one was so expressive with the two of them yelling – the guys at Carlton asked me to do that one and it turned out so nice. I know how crazy/amazing they are on the field and I know how expressive they are off-field and it makes it a lot more interesting to paint and I tend to paint it quicker when I know the person.’

 

You can see the intimacy in this piece. Kendra has brought out Scott’s raw emotion, her ferocity and explosiveness in an image that defines the Dogs’ season. After many set backs, injuries, a controversial suspension, the Daughters of the West never stopped snarling and history will remember their bark.

 

To listen to Kasey’s full interview with Kendra, check out our latest podcast on The Footy Almanac stream.

 

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