Magnolia Blossom acrylic portrait magnolia flowers

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MERRY CHRISTMAS AND BLESSINGS TO ALL!!

Isn't it interesting how the mind works.  All work week all I think about is sleeping in, and come the first day of the holiday weekend I am too excited and jump up before the dawn. 
For whatever reason I haven't really figured out how to transfer pictures from Picasa to my picture file to upload so wasted a bit of time, wish I had some small amount of techie blood in me - oh to be intuitive.  So any of you smarties, if you got tips, please share.
I have taken a bit of a mental rest after finishing my tiger and been floundering as to what the next thing I wanted to do should be.  Well friends, you are in this one truly from the beginning as here is the result of my light bulb going off.  You can see my ambitious project on the left. 
A few things: 
   1)  this for me is big - 19"x27", actual picture size will be 18"x26"
   2)  I am going to do the whole body.  As someone who shall remain nameless, but looks a lot like my husband, has been complaining that I don't do bodies, only heads. 
This is a beautiful picture of a leopard, this was a winner in the wildlife award show in Washington, the photographer is a New Zealander.  I first saw this in at the Natural History Museum in July and then again in November and wanted to try to paint it. 
For over 12 years now I haven't created or spent money for a picture over my fireplace and I think this is the one.  I would have like to have it larger, say 24"x36" but paper/board doesn't go that large, thinking about canvas but then that changes the medium, so will go with this. 
The only class I took I remember the teacher saying the difference between the amateur and professional is that the amateur works small. 
  3)  Well this is going to be quite a challenge because it's about three times the size I usually do and doesn't really fit on my board or easel, yet another challenge. 
  4) Also I am going to change supports and try this on a piece of pastel paper, as I have it and like the mid-tone color which should support the background and Leopard's colorization, but am sure that the pencil will apply differently and the translucency might not be the same since I am not actually on a totally white ground.  Have seen some beauties on color paper, and not colors you could image in Wet Canvas, so we'll see won't we.
Also have some other experiments planned, I hope to get to this weekend and/or next, about color pencil on canvas which would really allow me to do different sizes.  Have a couple of other things drawn up, but just haven't gotten jazzed about this, so ..... always have to have more than one going so this might be a great opportunity to do so.
Also have to, as a present for my hubby, paint his office, so lots of painting, just not always the creative kind, but you know it's just as rewarding to look at a fresh clean wall that pops a bit of color into our life.
Thanks for stopping by and have a great painting weekend.