"Gold vs. Wisdom" (Sold)

(sold)

"Wisdom weighs more than gold, silver, or rubies, and is far more valuable." Of course, wisdom does not have a measurable weight as gold does, but the value of wisdom cannot be overstated. My favorite definition of wisdom is from J. I. Packer..."Wisdom is the power to see and the inclination to choose the highest and best goal with the surest means of attaining it."

I did not want to be so visually literal by including an actual balancing scale in this piece, but I did try to divide the space up in two distinct divisions to give the idea of a subtle impression of comparing gold to wisdom.

To add a couple more subtle shapes and add more atmosphere to the mood of this piece, I brushed charcoal powder (using a Hake brush) across the top and then removed part of it with an eraser to create a softly diffused line. It's really a neat technique to tone down a particular section.

The bowl was defined with black gesso applied with a small palette knife and then texturized with a comb. Gold orange (Acryl Gouache) was solidly applied over the black, followed by random layering of 22k gold leaf. I then took a small brush dipped in water to removed part of the orange gold and reveal the black underneath. This action also removed the excess gold leaf. Just something to try or think about.