'The Holy Messenger'

Student Reflection

Joseph was a righteous man because he did what the angel commanded him to do - to take Mary as his wife (Matthew 1:18-25). But Joseph didn’t want to expose Mary to public disgrace, so he didn’t get married to Mary until Jesus was born. His actions show his loyalty, love and trust in Mary. These are qualities that are also important to me.

I have spread the angel’s wings in a way that resembles a broken heart, symbolising Joseph’s heartbreak when he realised that Mary was pregnant.

I really wanted to show texture in my work, so I cut paper towels into feather shapes and layered them as wings. The absorbency of the paper towel also symbolises the tears Joseph and Mary may have shed in private. I used two different tones of yellow tissue paper on the dress to create depth and a natural detailed look.

I didn’t add facial features to the angel because I wanted to portray a mysterious character. For the night sky background I used red and blue inks, letting them blend into each other naturally to create a beautiful ombré effect.