Canvas: Before and After

I don't always like posting the inbetween stages of an artwork because it seems to take away from the mystery of the process, but this piece ended up having a lot of meaning to it and underwent many changes along the way. Here's a snapshot of how it looked quite a ways down the road (can't find the one of it really early on) and below it is the final piece, currently hanging in the Terrace Art Gallery.

I had to paint white to use as a base for the brown and gold feather colours. The red and white outline had to be changed with much patience and a steady hand.

Final image with black/grey/white for the eagle outline, richer colour filling in the textured sky, and gold glow coming from behind the mountains.

This piece is called "Grace" and it represents my Grandpa's spirit soaring gracefully back to meet up with my Granny's. One would not be complete without the other, and when my Grandpa passed I had a small smile in my heart knowing that they would be together again. 
   You may recognize the eagle design from other artworks I have posted and it is indeed the same one. I originally designed the eagle to represent my Grandpa because I knew I wanted to create a work dedicated to his memory in some form. The bald eagle was one of his favourite animals, and to me it represents an honourable and graceful life lived. I am happy to say that my brother and his wife will be keeping this piece in the family when the show comes down! <3