17th Century Beauty - altered page

I scheduled this to post while I am out of town. I finished this page a few days before I left for Vermont.

The background is texture paste through a circle stencil which was then colored with several colors of chalk pastels (turquoise, coral red and yellow ochre). I added each color separately and covered with clear gesso to seal. After the three colors were added I then sanded and wiped lightly with a black Staz On ink pad.

The image is from an Italian painting in one of my art books. I added the rays by drawing through a ray stencil on scrapbook paper and then cutting them out. I placed them behind her head to bring her to the foreground as she got lost on the background. I also added the bird and butterfly.