Colored Pencil Society of America 2012 / 20th Annual International Exhibition -- from the back side

Goodness; how this month is flying by!  Though it seems like I just finished unpacking, it was over two weeks ago that I returned from the 20th Annual International Exhibition of the Colored Pencil Society of America. 

This year's exhibition will be on display at the Carnegie, Visual and Performing Arts Center through August 30, 2012.  Juror Jamie Markle, Publisher and Editorial Director Fine Art Community, F & W Media, Inc., put together an extremely strong show of about 120 pieces from hundreds of submissions.  My piece, "Dust and Thunder", received an Award for Excellence, and the CIPPY Award / Best of Show went to Liz Guzinski for her work, "September Hydrangeas".  All of the award winners can be seen here.

The week consisted of the Awards Banquet, Opening Reception, the National Membership Meeting and Silent Auction (during which I won the bidding in order to bring home Jeffrey Smart Baisden's lovely drawing, "Steinhatchee Backwater"), workshops by artists Eileen F. Sorg and John Ursillo, and seeing great friends as well as meeting new ones.  Given that this year's convention week was within a reasonable driving distance from my home, several good friends from Michigan and out-of-state joined me at my family's lake cottage prior to the convention -- where we embarked on two days of 'middle-aged-artists-gone-wild' prior to traveling to the convention.  No details about that, though: as Dianna Soisson so aptly stated, "What happens on the island, stays on the island!"  Lets just say that........ohhhhh, never mind.

Below are several photographs taken during the pre-convention at the lake, as well as the CPSA convention week.

Born to swim: our lake mascot, sweet Ellie



With Kendra Bidwell Ferreira of Rhode Island



First time on a jet ski for Elizabeth Patterson of California.  Though I think she is trying to hide it for the camera, I think the only person more frightened than her was ME -- when SHE was driving!  (Just KIDDING)

Puppy Love: Deborah Friedman of Massachusetts with Ellie

We clean up pretty well for the Awards Banquet.  From left to right: our adorable CPSA President Cindy Haase of Colorado, moi', Deborah Friedman, Elizabeth Patterson, and fellow Michigander Dianna Soisson (and Kendra looked lovely -- but she was taking the picture!)

Always a sweetheart, Gemma Gylling of California

Dianna Soisson with her piece, "The Path Less Traveled": it's inclusion in the exhibition garnered Dianna her CPSA Signature Status!

Deborah Friedman and her work, "Beach Stones in Lapis Light"

In the coming weeks I will be starting a new equine piece that is currently in the planning stages, and continuing to work on a large drawing that has been in progress.  In addition -- and a first for me -- I will be completing preparations for a 2-day workshop that I will be teaching in October for Michigan's chapter of the CPSA, which will focus on creating textures on sanded pastel paper.

Thanks for stopping in.

CPSA International Exhibition, 2012 ARC Salon, and Strokes of Genius 5

In about two weeks I will be headed off to another convention week for the 20th Annual International Exhibition of the Colored Pencil Society of America.  This year's host city is Covington, Kentucky.  The exhibition can be seen at The Carnegie, Visual and Performing Arts Center through August 30, 2012, and the artists' reception is from 4 - 6 p.m., on Saturday, August 4.  My piece Dust and Thunder (shown above as one of two works used on the CPSA's promotional postcards) has been juried into this exhibit.

In addition, Dust and Thunder was chosen as a finalist in the Art Renewal Center's 2012 ARC Salon.  The Art Renewal Center is dedicated to the perpetuation of traditional art, as well as the knowledge and techniques of the artistic masters from the late-19th century.  The ARC Salon finalists and award winners can be viewed at http://www.artrenewal.org .........and I highly recommend this website in general, as it is a 'good read'.  

Wyoming Grey

Finally, both Dust and Thunder and Wyoming Grey have been chosen for inclusion in the book, "Strokes of Genius 5: The Best of Drawing / Composition".  (I will admit, I have coveted a spot in one of these editions for some time.)  The volume will include the work of 93 artists, and will be published by North Light Books in 2013.  More to come as the release date approaches. 

I guess every once in awhile nice things happen in groups of nice things.    : )

Small (and Wondrous) Encounters

Though I don't often take enough time to capture them with my camera, one of my favorite things about living in the country are the many encounters with the natural world, particularly in the spring and summer.  These little encounters, usually brief, are sometimes intriguing and wondrous, often beautiful, and occasionally poignant.  Below are several 'moments in time' that I recently captured, that caused me to take a pause in my busy day.

After flying into the front window with a rather alarming "thud", I found this little Pine Siskin lying stunned on the ground.  I held it until it 'came to' and was ready to be on it's way again.

This Promethea Moth spent two days attached to the screen of the back porch -- then disappeared as quickly as she had arrived.

Though this little guy (or gal) seemed quite content to sit in the barn cat's food dish and munch away, I didn't think that was the best place for him -- so I relocated him to a nearby hay field.

Possibly this Common Gray Tree Frog is the same one that sings to me every evening when I am watering gardens.  He has found a good spot: damp and cool atop a slightly leaky old faucet.

Thanks for stopping by.    : )

Profile: Courtney Fisher

Over the years I've become increasingly aware that there seems to be an affinity for the arts in my family, particularly on my mother's side.  Whether referring to my grandfather's desire to be a cartoonist (a dream he did not realize in his lifetime as he became an electrician to support his family), my uncle's lovely paintings and pen-and-ink drawings, one cousin's encaustic paintings and the amazing singing voice of another, or my son's gift for guitar............yes, there definitely seems to be something in the gene pool.

This list would not be complete without mention of my niece, Courtney Fisher.  Residing in Michigan's upper peninsula, Courtney is the oldest of my brother's three children and has a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Finlandia University.  She produces engaging fantasy art, as well as designs and makes her own line of jewelry.

Particularly fond of making earrings, Courtney seeks to design jewelry through which the wearer can express who they are.  Her artwork is inspired by fairy tales, especially the original fairy tales of Grimm, as well as Irish folklore.  "I've always liked the other-worldly creatures; fairies, elves, angels, and the magic and mystery that comes with them".  Other inspirations include artists Amy Brown, Nene Thomas, and Jessica Galbreth, her late grandfather Louis Salani, and Brian and Wendy Froud.

Courtney's jewelry is available online at http://www.etsy.com/shop/KatsEnchantedDesigns .  Below are several more examples of her work.  Enjoy, and thanks for stopping by.

The Continued Adventures of Life with Ellie, or.......How to Lose a Day, or.......

The past few days have been somewhat unproductive, not just in relation to art -- but nearly anything really -- so you must bear with me as I divert (again).  Does it make my periodic whining more acceptable if I acknowledge that I realize I can be a whiner sometimes?  (Insert amused chuckle here.)  Sometimes I just can't help myself:  life and it's participants are simply too interesting, funny, tragic, endearing, etc., etc.  It is usually quite tongue-in-cheek anyway.  Really.  It is.

On Saturday afternoon I was drawing away on a mostly-completed horse piece, quite focused actually, and came to the last inch of my Faber Castell Polychromos Warm Grey #6 in it's pencil extender.  No problem:  I went to the drawer of greys to get another, only to find there wasn't one there.  What?  When it was all said and done, I think I searched through fourteen pencil drawers and ten pencil cups, as well as across two somewhat cluttered table tops.  No Polychromos Warm Grey #6 to be found.  I was dumbfounded, and if you could see the number of grey pencils I have, or pencils in general , you would marvel at this too.  (Some of you obsessives know what I am talking about.)  I considered substituting another color or combination of colors, but felt I had already used too much of the elusive #6 in the drawing -- and still needed to use a great deal more.  I mean really: how could one have approximately 400 different colors across four brands, and probably well over 1500 pencils in total, and not a single Warm Grey #6??  Amazing.  Time to do a pencil order.

Oops

But let me not belabor this point any further:  I moved on.  Sunday morning I drove Ellie (my golden retriever, in case you have forgotten from my previous post about her foibles -- I'll get to her soon) out to the lake and took her for a very brisk, 50-minute walk.  After all, a tired pup is a good pup.  When she and I returned I decided to utilize an idea shared by artist Cynthia Haase and make a "black box", in an effort to set up a western-inspired still life with classical lighting and a broad range of values.  By late Sunday my box had been painted and was dry, and potential articles for the still life had been sifted through.  I planned to put the arrangement and lighting together on Monday as well as complete my photography and editing.

Not to be........and here is the "I-can't-believe-my-dog-did-this......albeit accidentally" part.  On Monday morning that damn dog.......I mean, my 9-month-old, 60-pound Ellie came happily bounding into the bedroom at about 5:30 a.m. to wake me, as she always does.  My face was lying quite close to the edge -- though I can only guess, as I was peacefully asleep -- and she exuberantly planted her front paws on the edge of the bed.  And yes......one of them went firmly into my left eye.

Well.  I'm sure I don't need to tell you -- this was quite a rude awakening!  Though there were those few moments characteristic of waking up during which I didn't quite realize what had just happened, I soon was lucid enough to know that something was not right with my eye.  (Of course as goldens tend to do, Ellie's entire body was wagging obliviously at the side of the bed -- she just wanted me upright and moving.)  Eventually I stumbled to the kitchen holding my face, and even Ellie seemed to perceive at some point, "Okay; my human is not feeling the love right now".

Mind you, I really tried to put on my big-girl-pants and get on with the rest of my day.  That is how my Dad raised me:  buck-up and get on with it, you know?  But, I don't think "agony" is too strong of a word here.  Blinking or keeping my left eye open, the stabbing pains, the blinding headache behind the eye, and the sensation that the entire area was quite bruised -- all were agony.  So after several hours of finding myself seemingly incapable of staying off the couch (also during which time, just for icing on the cake, Ellie vomited up her entire breakfast on the living room floor), I went to see my doctor.  In short, she diagnosed a cut on the inside of the upper eyelid, an abrasion above the cornea, and "quite a gouge" on the cornea -- which would account for my slightly blurry vision -- followed by, "you are in a lot of pain".  Just her validation of my, yes.....agony.... made me feel a bit better.  (It was quite fascinating really: she placed dye in my eye, turned off the lights, then shined a fluorescent blue light in my eyes -- much like when the crime dramas are searching for blood spatter.)  I left her office sporting a very large, white eye patch, and the admonition, "Be careful driving: with only one eye you have no depth perception".  And need I say?.......the evening was agony.

Ellie, this morning -- in her blissful puppy world, clearly not experiencing any remorse    : )

Okay; so fast-forward a bit and beyond how my beloved dog stuck her paw in my eye, made me lose an entire day, etc.  Since I awakened this morning the pain in my eye has been significantly less than yesterday, so I may be able to proceed with my still life plans sometime soon.  The entire time I have been writing this Ellie has been lying at my bare feet with her head resting on them, her tail thumping happily on the floor whenever I move.  The last time I engaged in a lengthy 'Ellie-vent', in mid-December if memory serves me, I bemoaned the fact that for three months she had not stopped causing trouble long enough for me to accomplish any work.  Just for the record though, she now will lie on the floor at the base of my drafting table and nap for extended periods..........And in the past several weeks she has shredded (and I'm sure ingested bits of) only two throw rugs, three crate pads, the green felt off of four tennis balls, 1/2 roll of paper towels, countless stuffed toys (she doesn't get those anymore), half a plastic frisbee..............

So, we are getting there.  As is true for all of us, Ellie is a work in progress.  (Insert knowing smile here).

I love my dog.  Thanks for listening.

Michigan Fine Arts Competition

The Michigan Fine Arts Competition, a juried all-media exhibition for Michigan artists, will be on display at the Birmingham Bloomfield Art Center from March 30 - May 4, 2012.  The opening reception and awards presentation will take place from 6:00 - 8:00 p.m., on Friday, March 30, 2012.  My drawing, "Dust and Thunder", has been juried into the exhibition along with over a hundred other works by Michigan artists.

This year's juror, Mi-Kyoung Lee, will be presenting a lecture as well as a Material Expressions workshop on Saturday, March 31, 2012.

For further information, please visit the Birmingham Bloomfield Art Center website.

Equine Work-in-Progress: Muzzle Detail

Above is the detail on the muzzle that I have laid in over the value drawing, minus the final whiskers.  One of the most challenging aspects of drawing for me, is the need to constantly and consciously fight the urge to execute every tiny, little detail.  Over time I have learned a bit --just a bit -- about the importance of suggesting detail, rather than drawing every excruciating grain of sand, piece of hair, or thread in the fabric.  Upon stepping back and assessing this horse's muzzle, I was (am) unsure as to whether I have successfully limited the level of detail.  As I carry on and build details in the other areas of the image, I will be better able to evaluate this.  Given that it is drawn on Uart sanded pastel paper, softening and blending the level of detail can easily be done.

So, back with my nose to the grindstone -- or in this case, the sandpaper.

Favorite things: the two-track

This two-track borders the east side of the hay field.  It leads back to a large tract of land that is planted in plots of grasses and crops to encourage the breeding of upland game birds and waterfowl, and is one of several favorite places to walk with Ellie.  These walks -- in combination with Ellie's antics -- often help to remind me to not take life, and myself, so seriously.

"Life is difficult.  This is a great truth, one of the greatest truths.  It is a great truth because once we truly see this truth, we transcend it.  Once we truly know that life is difficult -- once we truly understand and accept it -- then life is no longer difficult.  Because once it is accepted, the fact that life is difficult no longer matters."  

M. Scott Peck

The Road Less Traveled

Retrieved from the Flat File, and Kudos

This equine piece may look familiar to some of you: it is a drawing I began last summer, with the intention of returning to it prior to now.  At the time that I sat it aside I had little more than a somewhat pale grisaille laid in.  Over the past few days I have completed a solid base coat, and soon will begin layering in the subtle colors and detail work.  The piece is being executed on Uart sanded pastel paper, and unless I crop it (again), the finished image size will be 25" x 16".

Before closing I must give a big shout-out to California artist and good friend, Elizabeth Patterson, CPSA, who at present is having a solo show in Paris, France.  The exhibition is being held at the Galerie Louis Carre & Cie.  Check out the phenomenal video and show images through the gallery link: unless, unlike me, you are actually able to read french -- then you can enjoy the entire page!

Thanks for stopping in.

"CP Treasures: Colored Pencil Masterworks From Around the Globe"

Showcasing the work of colored pencil artists from 11 countries and edited by Ann Kullberg, "CP Treasures:  Colored Pencil Masterworks From Around the Globe" features the work of over 70 artists.  In addition it includes commentary on techniques from each artist. 

I'm pleased and appreciative that my piece, "Dust and Thunder", has been one of the works featured in this publication.  A preview of the work as well as purchase information can be found at http://www.annkullberg.com/cptreasures_2.php .

; )

Detail of Equine Work-in-Progress

Despite battling the respiratory flu for the past week and a half, I have managed to complete the detail work of the bridle in the past couple of days.  Though I will return and go over the darkest and lightest areas again just prior to completion of the drawing, for now I'll call this area of the rendering -- done.

Though its unusual for me to be working on two or three drawings at a time, that's exactly what I find myself doing at present.  I'm feeling compelled to set this one aside for a time, and return to a larger equine piece that I began several months ago.  A couple of submission deadlines are looming in the not-to-distant future, and the larger works are more suitable for these.

Thanks for stopping in. 

Small Equine Work-in-Progress

Well, the holidays are now well behind us (small sigh of relief), and Ellie seems to be behaving herself for the most part as well as developing a bit of much-needed maturity.  I am happy to report that despite my concerns the Christmas tree did remain upright, and she only destroyed one ornament.   : )))

I've recently resumed my work on this small piece, one of three I have in progress.  Using both Faber-Castell Polychromos and Caran D'ache Pablo pencils, I am laying in the final details of the leather bridle and the horse's eye.  After completing these and the silver fittings, I will finish building the values and detail in the horse's coat.

Thanks for reading, and a Happy New Year to you.

Wishing you and yours a ...........

Its the dog's fault. Really.

Ellie, shortly after her arrival.  She sure looks cute, but........

Several of you are aware that last winter we sadly lost both of our golden retrievers, less than three months apart.  First, fifteen-year-old Gus who simply lost his battle with old age, then thirteen-year-old Clare who suffered from recurring cancer.  As goldens tend to be, they were wonderful dogs: Clare was my relentless running partner for many years, and Gus was the kindest and noblest animal I have ever known.  Life without them underfoot just didn't seem complete.

When I began to make murmurings about getting another golden early last summer, the males of the house tried to dissuade me: my son lobbied for a Rhodesian Ridgeback, and my husband requested I consider a Clumber Spaniel.  As I read about both of these breeds online, I wanted to think I was being open-minded -- but really, I was having none of it.  I mean, if it works......why fix it?  (And you know, what Mom wants................)  So, after researching several golden retriever breeders in southern Michigan through the summer, "Ellie" came home to us in September.  

It did not take long for me to begin to wonder if, a) I had been tremendously naive, or b) I had simply forgotten what cute, little puppies are really like -- though I'm quite sure my memory serves me correctly in that I'd never experienced anything quite like Ellie.  I'd envisioned walking through the fields with my beloved golden puppy at a perfect 'heel' by my left knee, (okay, okay.......that was naive), and suffered from delusions of me working at my drawing table with Ellie quietly napping on her fleece mat at my feet. 

This was not to be.  Actually working for any length of time, soon seemed like a distant memory.  Ellie seemed much less like a sweet little puppy, and more like the whirling Tasmanian devil I recall from cartoons as a child.  Even my husband, more dog-savvy and tolerant of puppy foibles than I, was heard to mutter on several occasions, "I think there is something wrong with her."  Listening was clearly a totally foreign (or selective) skill on her part for many weeks, and there seemed to be a great deal of confusion as to who was actually the pack leader around here.  Averaging about every forty-five seconds, I was either taking something out of her mouth that didn't belong there, saving my elderly cat from her puppy exuberance, or removing her from somewhere or something that is off-limits.  (And I'll spare you the potty-training details.)  My life was quickly reduced to a pocketful of "cookies" (food being the only thing that motivated Ellie toward anything that even remotely resembled good behavior), and a vocabulary consisting of, "no", "leave it", "sit", "stay", "STAAAYYY", "off", "leave the cat alone!"...............and the occasional, "good girl".

 I knew (hoped) things would get better; I just did not realize it would take so long!  Over the past two to three weeks and as she approaches five months old, Ellie is maturing and showing signs of the great dog she is going to be.  (Big sigh of relief).  I no longer find myself in the throes of, "What was I thinking?", my old cat seems to be no worse for wear, and life is gradually resuming some normalcy.  So you see?........I didn't fall in a horse trough as some of you may have suspected.

Below are the two small equine works that I have had in progress.  I will be assessing what finish work is needed on the bay horse; the grey requires significantly more layering before it is close to finished.

  

       

Tomorrow my son returns home from college, and we will put up the Christmas tree.  I'm doing this with some trepidation..........somehow visions of the cat running under the tree with Ellie in hot pursuit followed by the tree crashing to the floor keep creeping in.  Call me crazy.

Have a wonderful, joy-filled Christmas.........and if you made it through my lengthy 'Ellie-vent', well, thanks for reading.    : )

Work-in-Progress: Wyoming Wild Bay Horse

On the drawing board currently is a small piece similar to Wyoming Grey, which was sold at the silent auction for the Colored Pencil Society of America last month.  This piece is the first of two or three works of this type that I am doing for an area gallery.  I have just begun to put down the layers of detail, and have yet to punch up the darkest values.

I can barely believe that the summer is winding down already.  The barn swallows' final broods of the season are about to fledge, and the sand hill cranes are frequently found snacking in the fields as they approach time for their migration.  In  another week my son -- who has been here all summer diligently attending to his part-time job and full-time social life -- will return several hours north for his second year of college.  Sniff.  Life holds few guarantees, but change is certainly one of them.

Colored Pencil Society of America 19th International Exhibition..........from the back side.

The results of the cowboy boot search, from left to right;  Kendra Ferreira, Elizabeth Patterson (CA), myself, Debbi Friedman, and Dianna Soisson ..............and I can't help but wonder -- what does one's choice of cowboy boots say about one?   : )))

As is sometimes the case, it has taken me several days to recuperate from my recent trip to Dallas, Texas, for the CPSA 19th International Exhibition.  Too much fun tends to have that effect on me.  Each year the event features workshops, a silent auction, awards banquet, and opening reception, to name a few of its highlights.  In addition to the convention activities (and despite the excessive heat), several of us took the train into downtown Dallas and visited the John F. Kennedy museum: a fascinating slice of history set up in the book depository itself, the location that JFK was assassinated from.

The Charles W. Eisemann Center will host the exhibition until July 31, 2011. CJ Worlein of Oregon took home the CIPPY Best of Show for her piece, "The Sisters", and good friend Debbi Friedman of Massachusetts garnered an Award for Outstanding Achievement for her still life, "Counterpoint in Green".  All of this year's award winners can be seen at http://www.cpsa.org/.   The following photos are from convention week.

Myself with Dianna Soisson, and Kendra Ferreira

Debbi Friedman, moi', Gemma Gylling, and Dianna Soisson

 Debbi Friedman shows off her boot choice

top - "Sea Foam" by Kendra Ferreira

bottom - "Flowers on Tuesday" by Dean Rogers

Dianna Soisson of Michigan with her piece, "Beyond All Boundaries"

With Jeffrey Baisden and Elizabeth Patterson

Ester Roi.......who laughs like this a lot    : )

Now time to refocus, and get to work.  Thanks for stopping in.



Dallas, The American Plains Artists Exhibition, and a little bit of drawing

Tomorrow I will be leaving for the Colored Pencil Society of America's International Exhibition and convention week near Dallas, Texas.  This event always proves to be five days of great fun and lots of laughter with good friends, as well as a tremendous source of inspiration.  A cowboy boot shopping expedition planned originally by several members, seems to have morphed into a virtual CPSA field trip -- so much so that we may do well to rent a bus. (And grant me a 'whine' for a moment:  I think I broke a toe yesterday, who's swelling could prohibit me from being able to properly try on boots this week.  This could be a catastrophe.)  So stay tuned for photos of wild, middle-aged women.  Okay, well............ maybe not so wild.     : ) 

My piece Dust and Thunder has been juried into the American Plains Artists 27th Annual Exhibit.  The show will be on display in Las Cruces, New Mexico, from September 9 - October 30, 2011, at the New Mexico Farm and Ranch Heritage Museum.  The exhibit can also be viewed on the American Plains Artists website.

Finally, the entire grisaille is completed on my current work-in-progress -- (except for that pesky ear area near the right-hand margin that I decline to show in its entirety at present, and which I have redrawn three times ..........it is a little irritating when I find myself stuck on something in that way, but occasionally it seems simply the nature of the beast) -- and I have begun to put down the heavier layers upon which I will build the details later.  After I return from Dallas, I may set this piece aside for awhile in order to work on a couple of smaller equine pieces that need to be completed first.

So, see you on the other side of the convention -- and thanks so much for reading.

On the Drawing Table.......Another Equine Drawing

This current work-in-progress will eventually depict two black horses, and is once again inspired by the wild horses of Wyoming.  The image shows the early stages of my layering with colored pencil.  As with my most recent equine drawing, I am putting down a grisaille using the range of Prismacolor french greys (except for the muzzle), in order to establish the shapes and some of the values.  There is much ground to cover yet: for perspective, this horse head is nearly 20 inches high.

With this piece, one of my goals is to retain and lead the viewer's eye through the particular -- though subtle -- use of color.  As the work progresses, I will be able to explain more specifically what I mean by this - and what it is I am attempting to accomplish.

As always, thanks for stopping in.   : )

"Wyoming Grey" Completed, and Exhibition News

Wyoming Grey

8" x 12"

Colored Pencil on Uart Sanded Pastel Paper

Each year the Colored Pencil Society of America invites a group of artists to donate a piece to their silent auction, "Small Works of Great Magnitude".  This year, Wyoming Grey will be among 36 small colored pencil works auctioned off during the convention week of the 19th Annual CPSA International Exhibition.  In addition, my piece Canadian Cowgirl has been accepted into the exhibition.  The show will take place from June 29 to July 31, 2011, at the Charles W. Eisemann Center in Richardson, Texas, near Dallas.  (I think I foresee a Dallas shopping excursion for more cowboy boots in my near future.)  More information, as well as the list of accepted artists, can be found at the CPSA website.

So now, it is back to the drawing board.  I have two or three potential ideas swirling around up there, and will probably take a couple of days deciding upon and working on the layout of my next project.  Though I would like to develop a portrait or figurative piece of my nineteen-year-old son, he is a rather uncooperative 'model'.  It may be necessary to resort to bribery.    : )   

Thanks for reading. 

Wyoming Wild Horse Update

This image shows the current progress on the Wyoming wild horse drawing.  I have been applying layers of colored pencil over the grisaille I discussed in the previous post: various values of grays and beige, black, ochres, and grape.  Currently I am laying in the details of the facial fur, starting on the forehead and working my way down -- much to do there still!  Though most of the mane, forelock, and eyes are completed, I will return to them to do the finish work.  Next post..........it will be done!

Thanks for stopping in.