Third day of underpainting, the face, hands, feet, and started work on the drapery. I'd been a long time since I've painted drapery, rarely ever this quantity, I must remain patient and stoic; this is all it takes. Cabanel excelled at this sort of tedious detail, so I must recall him as I work. The remainder will take either one day, at a stretch, or more likely one and a half. One difficulty is the size of this work. I can't easily work on the right edge and view the screen, and must stretch to the palette. I may need to develop a new method for working on the right edge of canvases like this.
Heard today that my three works were not accepted for exhibition by the foolish RWA. The only work they did choose was my simple portrait of Lois years ago. Perhaps I foolishly favour ideas which don't show my skill as clearly as figures and portraits. I know I can easily paint such stuff, must I prove it with every painting?
Onwards!
