1:34 PM: i'm moving ahead slowly with this one. today i worked on her hair and the beautiful clip holding her bun in place. the collaged elements and the patterned blue and grey vertical stripes i made on the canvas, after completing my preliminary drawing in graphite, are for me an essential element in the delicate balance of the picture plane. i'm not completely happy with her ear, which i'll do some work on tomorrow. overall, there is, in person, a fragile balance right now, and the vintage '40's map of maine, given to me by by friend dan, plays as much of a role as any of the details of her face. i am changing up the context, bringing vermeer into the territory of graffiti and weather worn outdoor advertisements, as much as the faded frescos of pompeii. there is something airy, and it has a bit of the flavor of a preliminary sketch, executed rapidly and with the certainty that comes from a lifetime of drawing.....except for that damn ear!