In between rain drops today, was able to get this outside to photograph it. It is not signed as yet, will sleep on it overnight and take a look in the morning, but I feel pretty confident that it is done! Image size is 9" x 18" and it will most likely be going to my Annapolis gallery, McBride Gallery, for the March show, 'Looking Back - Memories'.

I was only able to get about 45 minutes of work time yesterday so put in some good time today since about noon. As noted in an earlier posting, I'm approaching the final pencil marks . . . the bird subjects, but there are still areas elsewhere that need finshing up so maybe tomorrow this work will see the framing table?

As I sit down in the studio to put in a couple hours of work this afternoon, here is where things stand after some work time yesterday. I think the entire right side of the piece is pretty much done, save for some final 'clean up' work when everything else is done as I go over the entire composition to tighten up and strike a final stroke or two of 3B to bring things up. It was interesting yesterday as I sat down to the board for a couple of hours of work time . . . I, as so many artists will also attest, had that momentary ache where I felt that the piece was just not working and wondered out loud if I had put in so many hours for naught. It happens . . . there is a point at which you look at an incomplete work and think 'What possessed me?' or even worse, 'Where did I go wrong?' After 3 hours of work yesterday, during which I kept thinking that all would turn out OK in the end, and then coming back for a final look before heading for bed last night, after having left the work sit for 5 hours without looking at it . . . I felt a bit better. And then this morning, I felt, fortunately, even better as I looked at yesterday's work. I'm in the final stretch now and that nagging little voice that seems to haunt so many artists when near the completion of a work, is saying to me, very forcefully . . . 'Don't screw it up!' Stay tuned . . .

Day 7 of work on this piece has brought it to this point. A commenter asked about my use of B grade 'leads' a day or two ago and today I've been doing a lot of layering softer grades of graphite over areas worked yesterday and the day before to bring up the dark values and to continue to help to move things forward and back to mimic depth and dimension. As I've noted in previous posts, my technique of layering ever softer grades of graphite to build up the darks will make up the core of this work as there are so many dark recesses to portray.

Continuing on the great circumnavigation around this work, I've put in about 3 1/2 hours again this afternoon in drawing time -  moving up the left margin and across the top today. The 'edges' are almost complete now . . . sort of like doing a giant jigsaw puzzle, get the edges done first. (I hope there will be no missing pieces when I get within a half hour of completion!)

About 4 hours at the drawing board today. So, what have I been doing? Well, in addition to working new, as yet untouched areas, I've been going back over previously worked spots and adding more depth with deeper darks (HB, B, the occasional 2B) and sharpening up the contrasts between light areas and dark to help to move things forward and back. It seems that I am working the perimeter of the piece as opposed to moving across or top to bottom as I sometimes do. Well, I figured I would try and get all the hard work done first before moving into the easier areas (Are there really any easier areas in this one? Yep.). So, I will continue to concentrate on the outer areas and slowly work my way into the interior. I suppose the birds might wind up being the very last areas to be done and since they are to be the focus of the work, I'll save the best for last!

3 1/2 hours in the studio today . . . an overall view now of the entire composition which is 9" x 18". I don't often work in a two to one ratio compositional field, but for this particular work, it just worked out that way. And of course, once I transferred the sketch to the Bristol ready to begin, I realized I had no frame amid the hundred or so in the basement to fit! When, oh when will I learn? Of course, I hate to be constrained by standard size frames.

A snippet of what I found waiting for me on the drawing board this afternoon, something I've been at work on for the last couple of days. Finally, there seems to be something worth posting. When all is said and done, this one is going to have an awful lot of graphite in/on it!

Managed enough studio time yesterday and a few minutes this morning to complete this. 'A Rush to the Finish' is 8 1/2" x 18 1/2". Now, time to retire to the couch and just play 'sick' for the rest of the weekend.

Down to the home stretch . . a few hours of work left. Maybe it will get finished up today, though I am feeling a bit under the weather so not sure how much studio time is going to occur today. Anyway, here is where this work stands as of noon today.

A broader view of the composition where it stands at this hour . . . studio time begins now.

A taste of what has been on the drawing board for the last few days - begun at the very end of the old year, expected completion shortly in this new year.