Finally finished this portrait of our friends, Damon and David, and got it shipped off to Damon's mom, AND I verified that she received it. Yippee! I like how it turned out but boy did it have a history.

First, Bryan said I had the faced too large and so I started over.

Next, I thought I had it in a secure spot in the v-berth only to discover the cat sleeping on it and paw prints all over it..... minimum repair... very frustrating.

Next, finally almost complete. Set it in the cockpit across from me, while I worked on another portrait and could glance up now and then to check it out. Bryan came out of the companionway, slid his tush down one face then leaned his bare and sweaty back into the other. It didn't even dawn on me what he had done until he stood up, turned around, and had a perfect painting of David on his back. Yikes!!! I should have taken a photo of his back. That would have been cool. Kind of funny but .... Major Repair.

Okay, almost finished again. Had to move the painting to our berth for a passage. Lil never goes there during a passage. Anyway, we arrived, anchored, and were just beginning to relax in the cockpit when Bryan reminded me that I'd better go move the painting to the upright at-anchor location before Lil got to it. Too late, but only 2 paw prints and not on the faces. Minor annoyance.

Finished the painting, showed David, got his approval, packaged it between two stretched canvases and lots of tape and styrofoam stuff to keep the painting from shifting inside. Also wrapped the whole thing in bubble wrap. The Mailboxes Etc was going to add more bubble wrap and a box. The whole thing weighed 5 lbs. No problem. The package got stopped in Panama City at the Mailboxes Etc there because they thought it needed to be packaged better. Next we hear it weighs 35 lbs. Oh my gosh... I am frantic worrying if they took what we did apart and messed up the pastel portrait for a couple days until we finally got word that it was delivered. I called and verified that it was all ok. Surprisingly, the final shipping weight on delivery was only like 8 lbs. Go figure.

Anyway, its done. Its delivered. They like it. I like it. Hallelujah, I'm a happy artist again.