I am hopeful this unusual landscape will bring comfort and perspective to some other sensitive heart out there who also grew up in a complicated family where appearances never told the whole story.

How Appearances was created.....   After priming this board with black acrylic gesso, I used my fingers to push acrylic modeling paste into a fine naturally irregular ridge that would become the horizon line.  Once that dried, I used palette knives to paint the bottom portion with bold dark greens using strong strokes and creating organic textures.  Then I painted the top portion with deep blues in the same manner.  After that layer dried, I used wide soft brushes to apply light blue washes across the sky in warm and cool blue tones.  I used a dry cloth to blot through some of those layers.  I used a similar process to lighten parts of the land.  And finally I used detail brushes to create the small family of trees and to add the words.

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

Appearances 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.