"Moonbathing" Fine Art Miniature - from the Wood Nymph Series

As promised, here is the second miniature in the series of "Wood Nymph" drawings. This is the final finished image below.  I will have it along with two other miniature works available in the gift shop at  Gallery by the Bay during the UNCLAD show, opening next week.

Moonbathing © Barbara A. Freeman

Graphite and Mixed Media on Film 3 1/2" x 3 1/2"

This is the the initial drawing where I worked out the position of the body, especially the hands and feet, always the hardest for me!  At this point I wasn't sure where she was going to be, I just liked the posture.

I then transferred her to the Dura-lar Matte film and as shown above, where I placed her on a shelf-like ridge next to an opening in a tree.  I started the drawing on the top left.

Here is my set up with my mangnifier and tray of graphite pencils and tools.

In this photo you can see I've gotten fairly far along.  I've done the figure, face and hands.  The best part for me is the tree textures and values.  I love doing that part, so meditative!

You can see the shelf I've placed her on.  I was using the idea of fungus that you often see growing on trees.  Then I added the steps leading inside, which seemed to be the right thing to do.  I wanted to keep the flow moving to create the rhythm and lead your eyes around the work.

This is what the back looks like when I add colored pencil to it.  I used it for the wings, body and sky and a few touches where the night light shows on the steps.

When I had the opening in the tree, I wasn't sure what I was going to do with it.  I had the choice of making it a view to a forest real or imaginary and then it just hit me that it would be great to have the moon and stars show through.  The circles in her wings repeat the shape of the moon and the colors set a mood.  I added glazes of Golden Interference Blue (fine) to the wings, the stars and the moon.  You can see I was excited about this one.  I am having so much fun with these imaginary creatures! I have one more finished miniature that I will be posting soon.  I will be delivering all my work for UNCLAD tomorrow and meeting up with my friend Janie Olsen.  Janie also has work, Lost Heart,  in the show. Her beautiful work has an interesting story behind it and you can hear Janie tell all about it with the audio tour by listening on your cell phone.  I also have audio for my works, Shared Secrets and The Wood Nymph, telling how I work on film.  I hope you can make it to the show!  It's going to be a great time.  Lots of fun things going on at the gallery and in the community.  Thank you for reading about my work and I hope you will return to see my next miniature in the wood nymph series.