Keeping the Background Out-of-Focus

I have tried to soften the background as much as I can for now by re-wetting and feathering off any hard edges.  You still need the darks and highlights to give the painting depth - it's just the edges that need softening.  Anyway, I'm going to leave it for now and start painting the bird.  Once she is done, I will be able to determine if the background is soft enough.