I got the next frame done. The photo of it is a bit wonky but shows it in perspective more or less. As I mentioned before it was a relatively boring piece to work on...yawn...but it's done. I've moved to the frame coming down and across the nape. This will require a little more care and creativity to blend in with the previous work as well as to create the beginnings of his wings. Now these wings, I hope, will be of a rather gossamer quality. My dragon sheds and regrows his wings yearly during which time (albeit a short period) he finds himself somewhat vulnerable to predation. My aim with this depicition is to show the wings in their most robust state but at the same time to somehow reveal their delicacy and fineness.

What fun!

I am finally back to the dragon. This is the first frame after the original head frame. I'm feeling quite encouraged now that I can see some progress on him. Now that I've photographed these 2 frames together I see the arm connection is off. I have corrected the gaff and it will show up in the next grouping photo as a better match. Today I am working on the next frame down to complete the other hand/claw. It's kind of a dull frame to work on as there is so much to background fill with charcoal. And yet, I am enjoying being back in the loft.

Home at last! My travel companions and I are soooooo glad to be back in beautiful BC. Saskatchewan was a nice visit with Mike's family but I sure can't take hours and hours of driving. I'm more of a drive for 4 hours only and camp kind of person. There was not a minute to spare for art....I think I went through withdrawal! Now that I'm caught up with my grooming clients, garden and yardwork I hope to get back to it. All of the frames are prepped with line drawings. I did a change to the hind legs. I'm quite excited to get on with it!

The dragon body has begun to take shape. This is a rough draft of the general look he will take on. However I have already changed the front legs since the scan. I am seriously concerned about the hind legs. They need to change but I will wait on that for a bit. They will stil need to be in a tucked position because he is in flight. I just don't like the look... I am finding that as I transpose the idea onto the each frame in relation to the previous frame I can make adjustments to improve the look. There has been much too much going on here lately that has kept me from my art. Two more weeks of interruption and I'll be at it more consistantly...I hope.

What happened to the last 2 days? I'm not really sure....except that I have a horse drawing done to show for it and a half done portrait challenge from wet canvas. So, I guess I was busy drawing. I had a ShihTsu to groom...the very grumbly Buddy...very good but "don't touch my front legs or else". Not entirely all bluff to that threat either. We had some visitors from the "big city" drop by for a few hours too. The hummingbird pictures are for them as they were quite thrilled by them but could not catch them with their camera. Those hummers are very wary of changes around the feeder. I had to set my camera up on a tripod in one of the flower boxes by the feeder and hide behind the post to get this. Hmmm, I guess that's what happened to the last 2 days. The dragon is at rest for the time being while I work out his body stance...over and over... until I see what I like.

I have completed the Dragon in Moonlight, frame #1. I see him as at half-halt in full flight...in contemplation of his next move...fight or flight or perhaps in casual observation of his domain. He is afterall not a violent fellow...just hungry most of the time. This stance will come into perspective as I continue into the next series of frames. I should be able to photograph the entire series in full from my loft while they are laid out on the kitchen floor. But first I shall have to create them...in essence I must grow him a body. It may take quite some time. There are so many other things to do at this time of year. Kayaking the creek this morning made me quite giddy with the size of life. Towering trees, vast expanses of land, looming mountains, lakes that seem to stretch out forever...and that was just in eye view at that moment. We are so small to reek such great havoc on the planet. Shame on us!

I can't beleive I spent almost the entire day rearranging my loft. Just because of three boxes of books that I hadn't unpacked from the move last year. First I had to create a gigantic mess but now it looks great. This is where I go to seek the creative muse...it's cozy. I have not got any further on the dragon...just a little shading on the front which I thought too light. But, I changed the pupil of the eye on the WC guide advice. It improves it for sure.