"The Sheep"

($40.00......6" x 6"....mounted on a 1/8" depth clayboard panel)


"The helpless sheep are always in need of the Shepherd." Of course, the reference and inspiration for this quote is from the Bible. People are often referred to as sheep in the Bible with Jesus being the Good Shepherd. The analogy is more to the point when realizing that because of the anatomy of a sheep, the animal cannot even get right side up again should it somehow fall in a ditch or fall on its back. That's why the shepherd has a staff with a crook so it can wrap it around the sheep's neck and help it up again.

In this piece, I have included a collage of two sheep. The secret to having it this well integrated into the piece is to adhere the collage to blank paper (in this case, it is 140lb. HP) before doing the pouring medium. It is also wise to do it several hours or 24 hours in advance of the pouring medium so that the collage doesn't lift from the paper. You will also need to watch where the pouring medium is going even after you've laid it down to dry. I did need to push some of it back by tilting the paper and kept watching it so it didn't completely cover up my sheep. (Also, brush some of the gel matte medium over the collage when adhering to the paper so it will not bleed or completely disappear when doing the pouring medium.)

As for the lettering, I chose Neuland because the piece needed a solid block of lettering to contrast with all of the movement of the pouring medium. The yellow I chose for the lettering is Winsor Newton Lemon Yellow gouache mixed with white and a bit of purple added to knock down some of the intensity. It was fun to do and I would encourage experimenting with collage elements in combination with pouring medium. Just a few more things to try or think about.

Please contact me personally to inquire about this piece.