Hope!

I like to believe there is still hope for this painting! Each one I have worked on has reached this awkward stage. When I began working in watercolor I would have been tempted to throw this under the bed BUT I have learned that if I push forward one step at a time I usually end up with a finished piece that I am happy with...usually.

This shows the yellow washes on the leaves. I used New Gamboge in the foreground, Aureolin in the background.

Showing some of the detail added as underpainting. As I add washes these will blend in somewhat and be less noticeable.

Close up of leaf detail. The colors are not as intense as they appear in this photo.

The Chosen One

The process didn't take very long. After mixing and mixing and mixing some more I had begun to think that I didn't have the right colors to come up with a close enough match.
I tried to achieve the glow without using Opera but in the end I pulled out the trusty Winsor Newton Opera and mixed it with a small amount of Daniel Smiths' Quinacridone Rose and voila!

I am very happy with this combination and have already started laying in the first washes.

I will post those tomorrow.
Zelma