You can see these "sketches" coming to life behind the scaffolding. After this phase more details will be added and the colors will go on.
Notice the progress made on the main figures ... this is John the Evangelist.
There are also preliminary sketches for the 4 beasts which represent the evangelists, but so lightly done that I cannot catch them with my camera.
Nicholas is doing the figures while Alexander continues to decorate the dome and the drum. Dmitri is working on the lettering and another image of Christ, to go in the drum looking out at us.
You can see that the medallions (done on painter's canvas) have been attached to the plaster. They've used an extremely strong and permanent adhesive.
The whole scheme is taking on color and life
The artists are moving back and forth between background decoration (the floral treatments around the windows).
Here's a picture of the center of the dome...
and the work that's in progress on the fine details.
It should look nice this Sunday morning - I can tell you it's extremely hot if the A/C is not on, and very smelly as various types of paints and varnishes are drying quickly in the heat.
