I think this is finished. I just need to live with it for a few days, let the paint harden up well, then give it a coat of varnish. The frame is on order and this commission, if accepted, will be complete. His/her one foot looks odd to me in this photo and I may have to go back and fix it. I also am thinking  I may go back and push the white in his/her breast once the paint dries a bit (to avoid additional blending).

As far as the title, I decided to look up and see what sort of bird this was. According to my Audobon ID books, this is a Laughing Gull and it’s numbers a dwindling because salt marshes (where it lives and breeds) are diminishing and the Herring Gull (those other birds I painted) like to eat this one’s eggs. In any case, if you are a bird enthusiast and you would like to see these guys, I snapped my reference photo down on the Fleeton side of the Sunny Bank Ferry.

And for those who are interested, here is the printed photo and initial sketch in charcoal on the canvas board. I did use the canvas board again to help match the Reedville Resident painting that prompted this commission.