It’s definitely finished and we’re off to the framers in Odiham on Friday for a lovely circular frame to set off the painting. The few changes were needed but eventually you have to hang up the paint brush and stop. I would be reluctant to do another painting like this in acrylic but would be interested in using oil paint for the next one.

The reason is simple. Acrylic paint dries too quickly and blending even when using slow dri medium and water is really difficult. And glazing over the grisaille underpainting is a nail biting nightmare. I regularly had to wash off the glaze or scrape or peel it off and then lie awake all night worrying about how to fix it.

I am now excited to try my hand at a version in oil paint, a medium I haven’t used since Art College.