©2010 Carolyn A. Pappas, Open Tulips Redux. Watercolor, 7 x 5 inches.
I had painted another version of this same painting back in May, as seen here. I painted the first one on a blank watercolor greeting card and gave it away to someone. At the time, I was a little sad because I really liked it and wished I had kept it for myself. I had intended to repaint it at some point, but I never got around to it until now. The other day, while organizing my supplies, I found a piece of Arches watercolor paper that was already prepared for this painting, so I took the opportunity to finish it.
I was more careful when I painted this, and I took my time, unlike the first painting where I was in more of a rush. It was a bit odd to paint the same exact thing again, however. At times, I wasn’t sure if I should look at my original photo or the first painting to use as a reference. I made some changes this time around, and I am generally happy with it. The next time I am really excited about a particular piece though, I am going to try to do my best the first time rather than thinking to myself, “I’ll just redo this later.” For one, I might never get around to repainting it. Also, I don’t think it was as fun to paint a second time and I’m afraid I would lose my excitement if I tried it again.
I’m not sure what my opinion is on making studies and preliminary sketches though. They can be very helpful, but I think that I may also lose my motivation to make a good finished piece if I make too many detailed studies or drawings first. I’ll have to experiment further with this to see how it works out.
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