Babbling Bluebells

 

"Babbling Bluebells"
7.5"  10.5" 
watercolor and watercolor pencil
on Arches 100% cotton hot press watercolor paper

I found these Virginia bluebells talking away in early May in a woodland in Ames, Iowa. 

I'd snapped such a lovely photo (see below) that I knew would be difficult to paint from. The temptation is to try to duplicate it realistically, but to do so is to only set myself up for frustration--at least with my current skill set. 

So I focused first on rendering an essence of the bluebells without trying to be so literal. And then I decided to see what lemon yellow and a little opera pink would do for the background. 

I'm not sure the lighter left side of the painting balances well with the heavier right side, but there are a few things to like here, IMHO. 

And though sometimes the digital versions of these paintings are better than the originals, this time I would say the painting is actually better viewed in person. You'll just have to take my word for it.