Hi. Thanks for asking.
Technically, this started as a crayon doodle, trying out new materials. I then charcoaled over this, brushed in a very wet layer of white gouache and poured into the mix white acrylic ink. This was left to dry for a week and photographed.
I then developed the photograph, merging in another drawing, on sketchbook pro on the iPad to create the image shown on https://kestrelart.wordpress.com/2016/03/10/the-difficulty-of-crossing-a-field/.
More recently I returned to the original piece and worked into it with conte crayon and watercolour, rubbing pigment into pits in the textured surface. I have yet to fix it, fearing the solvent will disturb the colours.
Artistically, I no longer recall my thoughts when doodling or working in charcoal, but by the time I painted in gouache and ink, I was already thinking about “the difficulty in crossing a field”, the short story and the opera. I had looked up archived photographs of the landscape round Selma Alabama and flown over it using Google Earth. The flat strokes of paint were intended as the broad open sky, but eventually I turned this upside down and they became the field.
Having developed that theme to completion on the iPad, I found myself thinking along new lines, the many meanings we have for the word “freedom”, and this was the basis for this final piece.
This may be more information than you wanted, but I was glad of the chance to explain this. Thanks.
….oh WOW! I just knew there was something very layered and intriguing about this amazing piece. And for all that I now know of its composition and components, it remains as mysteriously intriguing as first encountered. You are such a card-carrying artistic explorer, kestrelart.
Thanks
I’m glad this worked out well. It felt good working on it. It’s been a while since I had time to work on more than a few sketches out doors.
Now that process is what I call commitment! Staying and developing the piece like that impresses me and as otjer commenters have said it is mysteriously intriguing
This is terrific, I love the complexity of the layers
Hi OA
thats the white acrylic ink I poured into the mix. The softer whites are the gouache. I do like mixing whites from different materials. Perhaps that’s my artistic statement written right there!
kestrelart 
….would you mind just explaining a little of what the process involved in painting this very atmospheric and textured piece?
Hi. Thanks for asking.
Technically, this started as a crayon doodle, trying out new materials. I then charcoaled over this, brushed in a very wet layer of white gouache and poured into the mix white acrylic ink. This was left to dry for a week and photographed.
I then developed the photograph, merging in another drawing, on sketchbook pro on the iPad to create the image shown on https://kestrelart.wordpress.com/2016/03/10/the-difficulty-of-crossing-a-field/.
More recently I returned to the original piece and worked into it with conte crayon and watercolour, rubbing pigment into pits in the textured surface. I have yet to fix it, fearing the solvent will disturb the colours.
Artistically, I no longer recall my thoughts when doodling or working in charcoal, but by the time I painted in gouache and ink, I was already thinking about “the difficulty in crossing a field”, the short story and the opera. I had looked up archived photographs of the landscape round Selma Alabama and flown over it using Google Earth. The flat strokes of paint were intended as the broad open sky, but eventually I turned this upside down and they became the field.
Having developed that theme to completion on the iPad, I found myself thinking along new lines, the many meanings we have for the word “freedom”, and this was the basis for this final piece.
This may be more information than you wanted, but I was glad of the chance to explain this. Thanks.
….oh WOW! I just knew there was something very layered and intriguing about this amazing piece. And for all that I now know of its composition and components, it remains as mysteriously intriguing as first encountered. You are such a card-carrying artistic explorer, kestrelart.
Thanks
I’m glad this worked out well. It felt good working on it. It’s been a while since I had time to work on more than a few sketches out doors.
Now that process is what I call commitment! Staying and developing the piece like that impresses me and as otjer commenters have said it is mysteriously intriguing
This is terrific, I love the complexity of the layers
Thanks Rose
Lovely to read about your process – these are gorgeous, thought-provoking pieces, just love ’em! 🙂
That white band in the middle is perfect
Hi OA
thats the white acrylic ink I poured into the mix. The softer whites are the gouache. I do like mixing whites from different materials. Perhaps that’s my artistic statement written right there!
At least it’s intelligble!