Finding the Form

I went crazy the other day and spent almost all day on the carving- 6 hours. I was on a roll and when that happens it is best to just keep at it. Just like if you are messing up it is a good idea to stop and come back to the project later. I like the way the Naiad is starting to look. I can see where each limb needs to start and stop. I'm being careful to keep a dynamic gesture from every angle- no straight lines or 90 degrees. It still needs a lot of work, but at this point I am satisfied- approximately 20 hours into the project.

The red lines are drawn with a soft colored pencil using the photos and plans for guidance. I am trying to mark where I am sure I can remove some wood- then the line is gone too and I can reappraise the situation to see what to do next.

With these two left-side views you can see the difference another few hours made. The figure on the left was after maybe 3 hours of work, and the one on the right after another 3 hours.
I have to restrain myself from putting in details until I have everything where it belongs. I am a detail person and I want to put in toenails and eyelashes asap. Patience!