Smoking Figure part 35

In between various errands today I visited the Studio for a few hours to continue work on the new block. The only thing untouched to this point was the bricks, so that was today's task. I started in the top corner and worked my way down 9 levels of bricks. I used three different size round gouges to make the patterning, usually one per brick to give some variety between bricks. Before cleaning up, I inked the area I cut to make the results more visible. (see above) Some of the bricks show dark patches, purposely left to indicate variations in the brick surfaces, but they may change a little before I'm done. Based on the time spent on this today, it looks like I have at least 4 more hours of cutting ahead of me to finish the bricks, plus whatever time it will take to make adjustments in all the other areas.

When I got home today I found a present on my front steps- the oversize frame that I ordered to frame this piece, in plenty of time for the show I'm hoping to submit it to. The bad news is that I looked at the recently posted exhibition rules and found that framed as such it would exceed the maximum size. So assuming I finish cutting the block in time, I'd have to submit a shortened version- a proof missing the bottom foot or so of the block, which would allow it to fit into frames I have. But that's an issue for next week. As for my new frame, it won't go to waste because somewhere down the line there will be a exhibition that won't mind including such a large print.