Mermaid Piece part 8

Saturday is generally a good day to work on art, so following a bunch of other errands, I made my way up to Ocean Grove with my mermaid block and my tools.  Today I took on the mermaid's head, my sketch based on the design I was given.  This is the second area of the figure that has multiple layers, with one small section including skin, hair, a giant sand dollar, and a giant starfish, all one on top of the other.  I thought I had an idea of how to handle it, so I set up at my Studio work table and went to it.  Below is a photo of today's labor.

Not enough shadows to make clear exactly what all the cutting means, so I did a quick pencil rubbing to make it easier to understand.  The various object shapes are definitely more visible.

The value of the pencil rubbing is not exactly what is likely to be seen in the final version.  I continue to think that color would clarify everything a bit more, so I need to see if the person who commissioned it agrees, and then figure the best way to accomplish it.  And the area will need more detail cutting and shaping.  but progress is good.  Spent about an hour doing this today.

Pushed through a lot of traffic coming through Belmar (sunny summer Saturdays are brutal at the Jersey Shore), stopped at a local supermarket to pick up a few things, and noticed that my watch was missing.  Had it on when I left the Studio.  About a month ago the watchband just gave up one day, the watch dropping to the ground as I was leaving a training.  The next day I bought a new watch strap, but with those little pins and such replacing can be an ordeal, so once I had replaced the broken side (buckle half) I decided to stop there and let the original other half continue to do the job.  My guess was that today the other side had given up.  Unfortunately, no sign of the strap there in my car, so after making my food purchases, back up to Ocean Grove.  Had some good luck in that the watch was in the first place I looked- on the ground, just under the passenger side of the car that took my space, and the wheels had not rolled over it, so it was intact and working.  Put it in my pocket and headed home, but this extra detour cost me a half hour or so.  Later in the evening I replaced the half that broke today, using the half I hadn't used last month.