To go dark or not? That is the important question of the Hour

First off, here is a picture of Sister Ellis's example of how to paint dark paintings. I know I will probably use it as a reference one day when I am in need of painting clouds at sunset/sunrise.

Here is my picture that I am using as a reference for my dark painting. I took this picture back last winter semester when I was in Art 117, and I just thought I could use it for more than one purpose now. Hopefully this will turn out the way that I want or would like it to go.
These here are my drawings from my sketch book for the values, and just the sketch of how I wanted it to look for composition; I think I am going to keep the general idea from the picture reference and use it in my painting. (I am really proud of myself and how the value drawing turned out. It made me happy, it looks really good from here. :) Hopefully I can put that into a painting.)
And this is what it looks like about halfway done. It took me a little while to make the neutral and with a lake of color so I wouldn't run out, but I got tired, so I went to bed and this is about what it looks like now. So here is to what the finished product may hopefully look like the original or what I perceive it will in my "artists'' mind.