looking at work in progress

i'm working towards an exhibition at the morley gallery in london in october. the national exhibition of the guild of glass engravers takes place biennially and is a showcase for the best examples of the 'craft'. fellows may submit 3 works so i'm thinking about a piece which uses the traditional skills as best i can and a couple in a more contemporary style. 

left is a work in progress pic marked up with chinagraph pencil where i need to adjust the depth. you can't 'un-engrave' so a cautious and painstaking shaving away is the best method. as a rough guide, the 2 heads have taken 9 hours work to get to this stage. they are quite large for 'drill' engraving, 9cms across each at the widest point and it is a challenge to get a smooth finish using small burrs. 

i don't use photographs for my figure work, preferring to use drawings from my imagination with a nod to my previous life as a medical illustrator. i keep coming back to this strong profile, which always surprises me as no two are ever the same. i find this the most challenging subject as there really is nowhere for me to hide. the image is strong and uncompromising, deliberately bald so as not to place it in any particular time or fashion. when the engraving is complete i'll live with it for a while before i decide whether or not to gild into it.