Who's the Boss?

"Clouds"
Watercolor on Arches hot press, 8" x 8" 

"Until I start painting, I'm the boss. Once I start painting, watercolor is the boss" (painter Joseph Zbukvic in an interview with Eric Rhoads on PleinAir podcast #111).

I started out trying to be the boss with this painting. I wanted the the top clouds to look more cirrus-y to match the photo I was using. On the other hand, I was relatively pleased with the cumulus cloud behind the mountain. 

Then the paint took over with the mountain and foreground, refusing to continue in realistic mode in terms of color and detail. In the end, I let the watercolor take the reins. 

I kept with the same Daniel Smith triad that I've been using lately -- phthalo blue, quinacridone magenta, and hansa yellow medium -- plus Winsor Newton ultramarine blue and burnt sienna. The ultramarine blue is especially granular on hot press paper, I discovered (see upper left quadrant), and I didn't like it. However, after mixing the ultramarine blue with quin. magenta and phthalo blue for the mountains, I decided I liked the texture conversation going on between the sky and the mountains.  

The watercolor took over and I'm glad.