I was ready to push this one aside, and wait for it to behave, or to forget it. But Daryl Lancaster (of my critique group) said no….it just needs a better presentation. Why don’t you take off the head? As usual, she was right.

I took off the head, and started cutting into the layers of padding.

Discovered fiberglass….took off the jacket (yes, it should have been obvious that would be necessary) removed many layers of woolen padding, and hacked into the fiberglass…

Quickly realized that this is not an indoor job. I put on my mask (this time to avoid breathing fiberglass particles, not covid) and dragged him onto the porch with my reciprocating saw….

After some major surgery, I could put all the layers back on, and fill most of the hole with black felt

The shirt ( with the two fibulae still attached) was painted black, then added back in

So now your eye is drawn right to the fibulae - they become the most important visual element, as they should be. And the contrast with the heavily padded shlumpiness of the jacket is more apparent, too. I still have to re-do all the stitches I cut to remove the jacket, and finish attaching the black shirt, but - finally - we have a winner!

Now that I’m fully vaccinated, I’ve been going out (safely, not too much) and SEEING things other than my own home. The fresh visuals seem to have woken my mind. I can sort of feel new work coming…?

Hope you are safe and sane and get out to enjoy the warming weather.

Diane