Palm Tree Husk Painting

Palm husk base paint.
(ignore the whale, he's not done yet)

Since moving to Florida I've discovered Palm Tree Art. It's the husks that palm trees shed throughout the year that people collect and use to create great works of art. So I just had to try!

I've been scanning the ground around here for pieces of palm trees. This husk I found out by a pond near where I live. It was a pretty solid piece. The edges were a bit fragile so I had to trim a few pieces off but wanted to leave it as natural as possible.

After coating it with a mix of grey, white, and dark blue I let that dry.

Then I started putting in the details. The eyes were the hardest part to get even. The husk has a big ridge down the center (which is why it fit the elephant face so well) and trying to get them even was a challenge.

The same challenge was there in trying to make those lines across the trunk to give that wrinkly elephant skin look. After trying a liner brush with limited results I got out a small fan brush and went back and forth putting in this guy's wrinkles.

To finish, I sprayed it down with a satin finish acrylic sealer. To hang I'm going to glue some self leveling hangers and then run a wire through them. I don't want to put holes into the husk because it will show on the front. 

So here's the elephant! What do you think?