It's Nice When It Happens . . . x2

1 . . paintings that move fairly smoothly from sketch to blocking in colour.  It happens probably about once every 10 pieces:  the usual way is to 'lose' the picture somewhere at this stage and the process is then one of trying to 'find' it again.  The last time I can remember was Ron's portrait, about this time last year.  Of course it makes it an absolute joy to do (with the nagging sick feeling that it could still go wrong, but a price I'm happy to pay).

2.  . . getting to the stage of glazing and going well, starting to really see the person coming out of the picture:  I tend to slow down at this stage (from a fairly slow pace anyway, so this is now nano-movement), a bit like when I'm close to finishing a book and I don't want it to end (again, something I'm doing at the moment too, with Vera Brittan's Testament of Youth, a sort of feminist version of Goodbye to All That)

Still not sure where I'm gong with this one, but it's an interesting journey so far . . .