If only it were as easy as going out to a sushi bar and doing research! This challenge has pushed me to the limits of my patience, and I am definitely growing as an artist. First off, I chose to go extra large, which is a big deal for pastelists, as the sanded paper grinds down those precious little pastels pretty quickly. So after a hasty, 3-hour round trip to Blick's to get supplies, plus a sobering gulp at the cost of such a large frame and museum glass, I stood ready with a 24 x 36 mounted surface in front of me (I won't even delight you with the tantrum I experienced trying to mount this alone). Then, I decided to do a gouache underpainting to set in my values from my Notan sketches and also to save my pastel sticks for the later layers. From my first concept sketch on a restaurant placemat, the painting has slowly emerged from my imagination. My career days as marketing public relations manager for Morris the Cat are definitely controlling this process. Like writing a novel in which the characters take on a life of their own, well, let me just say that "this cat has 9-Lives!" Cats are mischievous little creatures, as you will see at the end of this exercise, if I live through it. It has been fun to see how they behave when faced with colorful little fishies. I am about 3/4 of the way finished, but today I got locked out of my art studio with only an inch of the doorway open after something fell and blocked the door. So I spent an hour making a contraption to bend three ways around corners, thinking perhaps a simple drone or a trained cat could have been helpful. I think I am done for today. Time to go out for Sushi!