I have a soft spot in my heart for angels. They do God's work here on earth giving us protection and guidance. I named this painting Solace mostly because of her expression but also because angels bring us comfort and consolation in a time of distress and sadness.

The process:
As always, this piece started as a thumbnail sketch in my sketchbook. I chose a 12 x 12 cradled board and covered it with torn scrapbook papers then sealed it with chipping creme so that when I sand the painting at the end, the papers are protected. Once dry, I transfered the drawing onto the covered cradled board and started painting with acrylic paints. Once I had it just the way I wanted it, I used sandpaper to sand just the right amount of paint off letting some of the papers underneath show. Then I painted the four sides of the board black and put a coat of gloss varnish over top. Once that dried, I applied the crackle medium. I let that dry overnight, then using cloth, water and raw umber acrylic paint, I rubbed over the painting. The thin dark brown paint filled in the cracks and warmed the colors. Finally, I put two layers of matte varnish over the top for protection.