There comes a point, as a child develops, when he or she learns to interact and play with others.
Before that, kids generally side-by-side play on their own, even when other children are present.
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Here we have my daughter Sarah, age five, and her friend Blythe, age four, on the beach at
Pender Islands Beaumont Marine Park. It’s the end of a glorious and hot Canada Day. These
two, along with a number of other children and parents, are camping with us. It was an annual
ritual we used to enjoy.
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In the late afternoon, as the shadows grow longer, I notice Sarah and Blythe walking through
the water, engaged in intense conversation. They have been together all day. At first, their
interests and play were separate, but now they play together, with common objectives. It’s the
first time I’ve really noticed Sarah actively engaged in the developmental milestone known as
“interactive play.” It may not have been the first time she had done it, but this was the first time
I had seen it in her.
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I was drawn to this image by the lighting. It was very near the “Golden Hour” ... that time of day
artists love. Painting the foreground figure in those cool colours and shadow helps push the
warm, brightly coloured focal figure into the middle ground. That brightly lit figure fights to come
forward, and the foreground is blocking the view. Composing the painting in this way, with the
figures pressed to the left, emphasizes that aspect, as well. I like the tension of their
juxtaposition. Their proximity to each other and the divided light speaks about the time of day. 
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This painting was intended as a study for a larger piece that I hope to paint in the future.
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Mark Heine