I started with a nice wood support from Curry’s Art Supply. I like these supports. They are nicely made and have a really nice look if you decide to work on it as a shadowbox style support, which comes in handy if I happen to know that the found objects I will be using are better housed in a recess. In this case, the tin light reflectors I’m hoping to incorporate are fairly sharp and the cradled board will serve to protect any passers-by from a nasty scratch and allow the piece to be easier to pack and transport
After applying gesso and sanding and more gesso, I loosely painted in the composition in my chosen palette of spring pastel colours (photo #1). Then I applied the photo transfer I made of the portrait studio card. As you can see in photo #2 it leaves me with a ghostly image, which I love! It allows me to tint the photo any colour I chose as well as alter the image too. In this case, I have given Demeter a bit of a primavera green cast, well suited to the Earth Goddess I think, and then I accentuated the contrast and light. Happy with that, I have then sketched in the next part of my plan in chalk, and will work on the background a bit before I move on( photo #3). 
I must add…that like most artists I know, I always work on several projects at once and will be giving you a sneak peak in my next post, at two pieces I have started simultaneously with Bread and Honey.Stay tuned…
