The Feathered Nest

Feathered Nest oil on linen panel 12 x 12
I have long had a love affair with nests and feathers and have been playing around with mixing some different techniques. This piece was begun with the background completed and the nest left only drawn in. When I was satisfied with  the abstract nature of  the background I used transparent red oxide and ultramarine blue, it ( makes a very rich dark) applied to the nest Then I used Q-tips, cloth and old brushes to lift out the different values of the twigs. I used :Liquin with my paint in the background and with the colors in the nest. When all was dry (the next day) I used thinned down transparent red oxide and ultra blue in varying mixtures mixed with Liquin thinned down with about 50% Gamsol.and applied the juicy mixture for the branches and then tilted and let it run in the direction I wanted, sometimes guiding the drip with a brush full of my thinned down Liquin.
I was very slow in developing the branches, doing only a few at a time. Then when that was dry painted the detail necessary to tell my story, many areas of the nest remain the wiped out beginnings. This is fun and challenging.