Double Stargazer wip 3

I know I have not gotten far but still it is progress. I hope this encourages you that even a little bit each day gets you closer to your goal and is better than nothing at all!
We have been trying to get last minute yard work done as snow will come soon and we want to get as many leaves up and work done in the gardens before it happens. We still will not be done but everything helps that is for sure. So this is where I am at. As I have mentioned before, the weather has been such a dark gray for so long and getting good pictures that are true seems most difficult but it gives you an idea where I am at. At some point I will begin taking time to begin drawing on the next painting. I like to get a drawing going so that once I complete a painting I am close to beginning another. For some reason it helps me get through with the painting at hand because I begin to get excited to see what the next painting will become so I tend to stay on task better...guess I just have to fool myself into sitting in this chair! ha!

Double Stargazer wip 2

Well I have been able to work a little on this today and so will post it. I am so sorry I cannot get good whites and color as our skies have been so gray for so long it is getting to be the norm! It use to be we would count the gray days as we had so much sunshine...but this year it is very bad and so then so hard to step outside to get a picture that is true. This will have to do!
I am still finding shapes. Once I have more of this filled in I will begin to combine shapes but I always make sure each petal is fluid and accurate before I begin to combine them with shadows and glazes. It will be awhile yet before that happens but so far it seems to be coming along ok!

Watercolor of Double Oriental Lily

I a m beginning a full sheet watercolor of a double Oriental Lily...I love how it is so curly in places and more petals! I sure hope it can make it through my cold winters...I am wondering if I should just lift the bulbs of this one to try save it or let it be...see if it can make it through our harsh winters...so very hard to know!!!
I had taken the first picture with my iphone and slipped it up on Facebook but the colors were not right at all...so I have retaken that first area so the colors are more true.
I often say to my students, first look for the shapes. If you can capture the shapes you will most certainly have the form more true to it's real identity. I also say there are very few straight lines in nature and you will notice I am trying to make each petal fluid and graceful. This always makes for a better flower...and hopefully this one will have a dancing quality about it when I am done!
So what you will see is the steps I took yesterday and then second picture is what I have done this morning. The rest of the day is spoken for so I tried to at least find the shapes which will speed things up in the end for me. I am sorry that the background is somewhat gray...light is not great here today and I had to take what I could get!
Thanks for watching!

Chicago Fountain Watercolor

I have not been painting much at all lately...and this has been done awhile but I was unable to get a good photo of it. I had it professionally done today and even he said that blue was very hard to capture I guess...so this is as close as it will get and I have it in a very low resolution so I am sorry it might seem rather grainy.
This fountain is at the Chicago Institute of Art in the special outdoor courtyard for members only that I managed to get in to...and yes this wonderful duck was there resting on the head as if she had been doing this daily for some time. I placed the egg in the hand because it was such a high contrast area but not sure it still drew enough attention...but mallard eggs are vey bland eggs.
I still do not have a title either other than Keeper of the Egg and Just Ducky...Egg Dancer ...just nothing hits me!!! Help!