Progress

 I spent the rest of the afternoon working hard, and got some things done after all. 

First, I did a lot to the deep background, and lightened up some skin tones:

                                Straight Ahead, © 2021, work in progress (click on image for larger view)       

Then— because thinking about the fact that this painting had developed too much texture kept me awake last night— I sanded it down everywhere except the actual cake, which looks fine. I'll do the repaint soon.

                               Six Layer Indulgence, © 2021, work in progress (click on image for larger view)        

Next, I painted the darkest areas on this one:

                               Untitled New Jersey Bar Scene, © 2021, work in progress (click on image for larger view)    

And finally, put in some shadows on the sand and added a lot of color in the ocean:

                               Untitled Ocean Piece, © 2021, work in progress (click on image for larger view)           

So now I can rest without feeling guilty.