Pictured below are
some early stages of my first work for 2015: Queen Alexandra’s Birdwinged Woman. The 20 x 20 cm wooden panel has been sized in order to protect it and
prevent darkening - its subtly grained surface will provide the background to
the image. The figure was
outlined in pencil. It was then painted over with a couple of light coats of gesso, through which these guidelines remain visible. An area of detail has already
been added: I concentrated on the subject’s skin and hair, mainly to get a feel for the
medium. I've painted on wood before, but have never worked in quite this way. The remainder of the image
will be built up via a series of thin layers, to which further details, notably the markings on the butterfly's wings, will be added.
