This Heavy Artwork is Meant to Be Seen in person

By Barbara Bose

This artwork is challenging to photograph. It’s meant to be observed in person. It has a reflective acrylic overlay that is a bear to shoot. Gems on the surface need specific lighting and are hard to capture. A photograph misses the shimmer of the gold leaf along the edge of the fabric and the elusive Northern Spotted Owl in the tree can only be observed when looking through the selenite crystal above it.

It is heavy – both literally and figuratively. I wrote two stories about it on Substack to explain it. It took four months to complete and I don’t know exactly why I even made it. But sometimes art forces its way into the world like an unplanned pregnancy.

So this is a birth announcement for my Astrological Self Portrait.

Astrological Self Portrait, © 2026 Barbara Bose, color pencil on wood panel and printed acrylic with selenite crystal, glass and plastic sequins.

This earlier version of the illustration is easier to see online.

But like real life, standing in front of it to really see it is a much cooler experience.