Nelly or Nellie Mosher Clematis Completed

Nellie Mosher - Nelly Mosher

The real satisfaction is in the finishing touches.  The stage of the painting where it is super close to being completed – just requires the last details.  In this case the centers of the blossoms.  I painstakingly painted around these skinny little stamems and as pretty much the last step I got to paint them in. 

Then the scrutinizing begins – I look at the painting more holistically now.  Are the colors true to life?  Are the shadows painted with enough contrast? Are the lights and darks balanced to a believable state?  Are the tones balanced appropriately over the whole piece for the lighting of the day?

The images that I worked from were captured on a hazy day so the shadows are not particularly defined.  So no high key contrast here.

So happily - on to the next work!

Still a work in progress....slow progress

Tedious tedium
tweedle tweedle dumb....

When I get to this stage in a painting - I often wonder "what am I thinking?".  Seems like I have been working on this piece forever.  Don't get me wrong.. I love the complexity and all the detail.  It is just at this point I am getting excited for the next painting - without any shade of pink.  Have I mentioned that each petal takes at least an hour to complete?

This painting will require at least three more sessions to complete.   My favourite stage is when I look at the work and start to balance the colours - a little bit more colour here - and little more darks in there. This really makes the painting pop.

I have my next painting sketched out - actually I have three more sketched out - two more watercolors and one in oil. May have something to do with my anxiousness to complete this.