How Messengers was created.....   Once the black gesso primer dried, I used palette knives to apply a thin, naturally irregular coat of acrylic modeling paste which I then "engraved" and scratched and scuffed with dental tools.  In addition to the background textures, I "engraved" a border and a single star in the surface of the image.  Next, I used black, deep deep red, light cadmium red and some dark purple to rough out the general design.  Some of this early work was done with brushes, some with my fingers.  I used tiny detail brushes to carefully paint the gorgeous enchanted lines that define these unusual messengers.  And I used small soft brushes to fill the birds in with deep purpley midnight blue and a bit of black.  Finally I used the detail brushes to paint the star and add the words.

(The image and textures continue around the sides of the board. This is a digital photo. The scans above are more accurate.)

Messengers was painted on a wooden board created specifically for use by artists. It has a recessed slot in the back allowing you to hang it flush with the wall. The sides of the board have been painted as well so that this piece would look wonderful displayed unframed either directly on the wall or on a small, decorative table-top easel. It is also very stable standing on edge and can be displayed that way on a shelf or table.

SOLD