Proud

My Peacock painting called "Proud" is a mixed media painting. It is also on Arches 300lb paper and measures 11X14. I started with an under wash of Indian Yellow Watercolor. Over that I addes pumice ground with glass ground bits on the green part of his body. The next steps were to block in the peacock with acrylics. Over that when it was dry I added charcoal dust then lifted out the ares I wanted lighter. The next few layers were pastel and fixative. The feather in the top right is from a New Brunswick peacock that I was given by a man that raises them.It is held on with clear acrylic ground.
  I tried to leave the top layer not fixed but after a ton of pastel dust on my mat and glass when framing I took it back apart,sprayed it and started over to re frame it . I love pastel but it is messy. The glass pieces also bit at the soft pastel.