Budded

Budded   watercolor   18.5 x 7

Our challenge was to paint a tree in its early spring budded state....not an easy task, given the small white blooms....in watercolor!  As I do not use opaque white in any form, or masking fluid, my challenge was to use brushwork to move around the work, avoiding the buds, thereby using the white of the paper for the blooms.  The tree I selected was one that I photographed while in the drive-through line at McDonald's.  The moody spring sky behind added to the immensity of the day...as well as to the immensity of the challenge.  The buds at the horizon line are mostly pure white.  Those at the top were toned to blend in with the sky.

Final word:  this is the best I could do with a difficult challenge....This small painting makes me happy.