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This is the entire width of the picture I'm concerned with at present...you can hopefully see my progress from left to right on the sky.

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I decided in the end to opt for the pinpoint effect for the stars.I think I need to reduce the glow from one or two of the stars on the right side of the ring. I am aware that the girl's arms and faces do not have the correct shadowing that the star crown would cast..this I shall attend to at a later date! My aim is to complete the progress of the sky to the far right hand side of the page!

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Working on the area surrounding the star Crown...I've still not decided weather to depict the stars as pinpoints of light or stereotype five pointed stars, Will need to make my mind up soon!

Shakespear as you never see it! Sonnet #18

I thought you might like a bit of a laugh this fine Saturday evening...so here's a little video I made earlier!

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I'm working staedily here..but progress is hard to indentify because of the density of dots I'm using...there's no hurry though..I'm hoping to start on the church/shuttle soon!

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I'm still laboriously  working on the clouds...you can see the areas within the clouds which I am darkening as I go along..I'm not using any resource, so I'm making it up as I go along...It's actually quite liberating as the majority of my work demands exact planning!

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Been out doing role play today...but will hopefully have a clear run at this tomorrow.

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Over five hours of dotting has gone into this area today for very little effect. But you'll be pleased to know that I know (more or less) how it will develop. Unfortunately for me, It's going to be a fairly dark sky...it's going to take ages! But you know, I actually love the challenge...honestly!

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I began work on the sky today..I'm still undecided about what form the clouds are going to take, but I've mapped in some lines and we'll see how it develops!

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Not obviously a quantity work day, but a quality one. I needed to get the drawing and transfers done for my Church/Space Shuttle...so I referred back to an earlier drawing of mine from 1988-89 ish (see below)...I liked the idea so much, I wanted to incorporate it into the 'Graces' composition...it's something I've had planned since the early sketches.So here is the pencil work which in some areas needs clarifying, but overall, a misty softened effect is what I'm planning so not so much detail as shown in the sketch. This evening I will be considering weather to add lots of planets, lightning filled clouds....and where to put the train and crows!

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The tree has reached a point where I can move onto to something else...(I'm not going to do any further work on the Star Crown until I fill in the sky) it's now time to address the mysterious area over to the left of the Graces for which I have a very specific theme.

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Here is the small progress I made on the tree today...

........and here are some pics of the kittens. now over six weeks old.I have a serious possible taker for the two black and white kittens. they'll be ready to leave at about eight weeks...so I'll keep you posted.
Biscuit is as you know staying with us...here he is getting used to his prison bars...not really...all three kitties have learnt to climb the stairs...

Draughty is trying to look like a dude on Will's skateboard....I didn't put him on it ....honest!

...finally, Bindi seems to be holding her paw out as if to say goodbye for now...see you tomorrow!

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Back into the groove today...everyone out, so I had time to consider the next stage. Last night I had one of those moments where a sudden realisation hits you and the next step is revealed. I'd been wondering where the girls other arms would be and what they would be doing. In traditional Three Graces paintings, their hands are often joined. I liked the idea of something being held..I thought a circlet of stars might be in order. A circle of 12 stars are frequently shown as a symbol...Paintings and statues of the Virgin Mary often have a crown of 12 stars, the woman of the apocolyps as described in revelations 12: 1-18 has a crown of stars, the European Union flag has 12 stars...numerous national and organisational flags all sport circles of stars,they can represent all manner of things: apostles, nations,states, months of the year, hours of the day, star signs...whatever you want. My Graces are holding their hands toward a floating ring of 12 stars ( they will be apparent when the sky is added!)which hovers in front of the middle Grace....what does it all mean I wonder?