Painting feathers

Working on a painting with the main subject a pelican. A water scene for background with a couple of sailboats. The tediousness of painting feathers on a bird is incredible. The trick is to first get the form of the bird, which is most important, and then detail the feathers without losing the form. I am using an early sunset background with splashes of color and light which further adds to the tediousness of this painting. I WILL FINISH IT. I f I don't die first.