Another Poppy Flower and Bud in Watercolor

Still using the Hand-book to work in, I tried again with the poppy.  I do believe the results would turn out more to what I might foresee in my head if I used a different paper surface.  This paper is soft so wet in wet can definitely be a bit of a challenge.

Years ago I painted lots of flowers trying for realism in my work.  I was told by several that I had a special gift or whatever in rendering my flowers in watercolor.  My specialty (if you want to call it that) was painting flowers in macro.  I found them to be more personable and intimate than working with several flowers done up in an arrangement.  Over time I found the multitude of layers glazing to be tedious and my tastes changed from realism to achieving more of an artistic flare.........looser in other words leaving something to one's imagination.

Something happened, unfortunately, and I feel I've "lost it" ....... whatever that "it" might be.  Groupings of flowers are intimidating to me and I often find working with a few to end up looking stiff rather than carefree and delicate as flowers should look (in my opinion or at least how I'd like them to look).  I get lucky now and then but definitely something changed within me over time.

Sketchingeveryday.com has a challenge this week working with flowers and I've not been able to bring myself to working the challenge.  A mental block, I'm afraid, because it deals with multi-petaled flowers and groupings.  Both of which I normally keep my distance from.  Part of me says this is just what I need and part of me is fighting that saying I can't do it without making myself feel "less than" adding to the self-disappointment I'm already feeling where my flower painting is concerned.  It might be the timing of the challenge as I find I'm in quite a critical negative state this week with all the work I'm putting out.  I seem to go through spurts or stages like this and unfortunately it's this week it's hitting me for some reason.

So Sandy, if you read this............this is what's happened to me this week with the challenge.  But I've been keeping up with what you're sharing ;-)

OK.........here's the poppy and flower bud with notes on the page (I've included the quick pencil sketch I did before adding paint to it)