Assembling a Cactus Blossom

The new cactus painting finally filtered it's way through my cluttered little mind this afternoon.  With a vengeance.  My husband just came through the studio on his way in the door after work.  I had no idea it was this late.  In the three or four hours I've been working I got one blossom finished.  I can see this is not going to be a fast process!  

All masked and ready to go.  

The palette for this one so far is Cadmium Red Medium, Gamboge Yellow, some unknown pinkie thing in the corner of my tray and a touch of Pthalo Blue.  

Watercolor holds endless fascination for me, the transparency and opaque qualities are so much fun to play with.

A bit of mask added to the center area to reserve the texture and values of that bit.

Starting to add more greens.

I have to keep moving back from the thing to keep from over-painting it.

The center, with another layer of mask and where I stopped to burn, um I mean  make supper.  

I had better go before I burn supper again.  I find I am starving and the man says he is, too.  Drat.  I am possessed by this process and would rather gobble a piece of bread and get back to work.  Tomorrow is go-to-town day.  The timing is terrible, but there it is.  So, I'll say a distracted adios and stumble my way out of the studio.  Chances are I'll be out here again before bedtime..

Thanks for stopping by!  Alice