How I Created One Face Painting

This video short consolidates several process photos of the last piece posted on this blog.  At the point before the trees were added, I felt stuck.  Some of the questions that were arising were:

• Is the face over-painted? 
• If so, does that mean the piece is complete? 
• Why does the overall piece feel so bare? 
• How do I keep the central image 'popping' if background work is added (to prevent eye distraction)?
• What kind of background would complete it?

I had one idea, not fully formed, of adding in the background--shadowy trees in the style of Eyvind Earle.  So, I had to go back and research his work, because I knew I wanted the dark trees and to add depth (e.g. with trees in foreground and in a distance).  It was a week or two before I started the background...still unsure if that was what would really complement the image.  Well it seems to work.  

In the Earle paintings I reviewed, it was clear that his tree work evolved over the years to an incredible level.  I see mine as beginner trees that could also evolve in drama and detail, if I work on them more.

Phases of Painting One Face from Cay Denise on Vimeo.