World Bird
Egg Tempera Painting
Original Painting & Design by Jen Delyth ©2005
FOR LIMITED EDITION PRINT CLICK HERE

World Bird is painted using a traditional Egg Tempera technique, as used for sacred art iconography for many centuries... Many layers of natural pigments & Egg yolk paint are built up to create a brightly pigmented painting, with a translucent quality, upon a naturally gessoed wood birch board. FOR LIMITED EDITION PRINT CLICK HERE World Bird - Drochaid na Flaitheanas - Bridging Heaven & Earth Inspiration for World Bird. Jen Delyth ©2005 The World Bird Bridges Heaven & Earth both physically with her wings of flight, and earthly webbed feet, but also spiritually, as within Celtic Mythology, Birds are the carriers of souls between this world, and the Otherworld. An Irish poem speaks of the drochet bethad, or "bridge of life," or the drochaid na flaitheanas, or "bridge of heaven," of Hebridean folk-lore. The Sacred World Bird carries our hopes and dreams from their earthly conception up into the freedom of infinite space and limitless possibliites. She stands on one trunk like foot, symbolising her sage like wisdom, and her affinity with the Tree of Life in whose branches she lives, eating the fruits of knowledge. The Tree of Life connects the deep rooted below, with branches reaching high into the heavens. Stage 1 - Cartoon Drawing of Design ready for transfer...   The Birch Board is sized with Rabbit Skin Glue, then a piece of thin linen cloth is applied. 8 layers of natural Gesso (RSG, Chalk, Pigment) is brushed on, and then sanded and polished. Stage 2 -Image Transferred to Gesso Birch Board with graphite paper, and incised with a sharp tool into the Chalk Gesso...   Stage 3 - First layer of egg tempera paint. (Cerullean Blue)   Stage 4... Continue first layer of paint Egg Tempera is egg yolk and water mixed with natural ground pigments - organic, mineral, and where needed, synthetic.   This palette was Malachite (transparant Blue Green), Cobalt Violet, Naples Yellow, Cerullean Blue, Indigo Blue, Titanium White, Zinc White.                 Stage 5... Refine colors & deepen Bird Layers. Each layer of paint adds depth and luminesance.     Stage 6... Highlights added, more layers of Sky & Colors Refined. Final Details, Glazes, & color adjustments... Painting finished... I prefer not to varnish the Egg Tempera paintings... leaving their silky matt surface to gradually harden & cure over the next 6 months. (The painting is dry to the touch, but is still vulnerable to water damage & scratches... )Egg Tempera has a depth & luminosity that is not shown in the low res. pictures above.... Detail.. About Heaven & Earth Project Award-winning national spiritual TV talk show, Bridging Heaven & Earth produced by Allen Silberhartz & his team, are hosting this international art show. This painting will be featured in these unfolding events. This popular national TV show is entering its fifteenth season. See their site for more information and listings for channel viewing at http://www.heaventoearth.com FOR LIMITED EDITION PRINT CLICK HERE