Box Turtle Sketch

I've been struggling to find just the right idea for an etching for a show called "Earthscapes" (which is coming due too fast for me!). Sometimes it's hard to think of something when you're on a deadline but it keeps you from procrastinating! I shuffle through my sketchbooks and my photos to see what might work. Sometimes pacing and walking works. Sometimes. Then I start digging around for chocolate because my brain seems to function better with chocolate. Ha! I always have hunger pains when I'm looking for ideas .    
This time I came across a photo I took of a box turtle that was in my yard and it appealed to me as a good subject. The shell reminds me of a landscape. And it's nestled in it's own little landscape of earthy grass and pine. Here is a first sketch of the turtle that I plan to etch. You can follow along as I show the steps to create the etching.