Seven Easter eggs (4) Seeking to do justice

The dimensions of the egg were larger than I had imagined.   I unscrewed the supporting stake from behind so that it could just fit on my easel.  I had a scene in my mind.  Taking a broad brush and some grey paint I sketched out how Jesus might look in the foreground.  On his knees, pleading. Slumbering disciples would be indeterminate shapes in the background.  I wanted a design that would emphasize Jesus' loneliness as well as his anguish.  Rather than crowd the scene with trees I planned an open space which would emphasize just how much Jesus was left on his own in the Matthew account. 

More difficult was choosing tones that would not only show this was night time but a time of grief and agony.  Could I find strong moonlight tones with enough light on Jesus' face?  Would trees and night sky in the background complete the top half of the egg?  And could the foreground vegetation and trees echo some of the pain in their structure and colours?  

When I finished, I placed the egg on the bench outside my garden shed.  Interestingly, the overhanging tree throws shadows onto the picture which add an unintentional element to the design.  I know the photo below is not clear but I thought I should include it, since you have had patience to read the last posts. Closer to Easter I shall report a little more on how the ultimate 'installation' worked out in the church front garden .