Thank you very much, Tom.
Mischa,
Thanks for the kind words. Your question reminds me of a thread I started almost two years ago entitled - "Pastels - going out of business." It is posted in the Business and Marketing section here:
http://forum.portraitartist.com/showthread.php?t=5578
It's a interesting discussion that pretty much lays out how I, and others, feel about pastels as they relate to the business end of the business. Maybe you'd like to add your thoughts two years hence.
I love the look of pastels and as I said above I am drawn back to them from time to time. Unfortunately, I've never been able to focus on them long enough to get very good. Maybe someday that will change, and maybe that's my motivation for wanting to stay in touch with them.
One more little anecdote regarding this effort -- When I made the change in the composition, and finished the sweater on the bottom, I then had to sign my name elsewhere. I sat and starred at the spot for at least an hour picking up just about every chalk in my several boxes. I would test each possible candidate on the side of the board. Because of the way I had handled the background, using the ground color splotched under the grape color, I knew I only had one attempt and would have to live with whatever I started. After much consternation I settled on a stick and began. I think I got it about 45% right. Having fretted so much about which stick to use I lost focus on exactly where to start and ended up to far right and to low. Also, because of the nubby sticks the letters are to big for my taste. And the color, which is the same green I used in the sweater, and seemed OK in my test, looks completely different against the grape. But, there's no going back with these nubby little branches of pigment. So there you have it, my best effort while in the grips of this oppressive Florida winter.