This Painting Is a BLAST!

Starting from the sketch ...
I modified it a bit, exaggerating some areas of the trunk to create "faces".

First very wet wash - aureolin, quin. burnt orange and cobalt blue.

The background I painted again, w/w, with the same colors. I thought to do the background  in the "softer" colors. and save the staining colors for the trunk.

Here I'm starting to give the background some depth and  verisimilitude.

It is so much fun, in a watercolor-y way,  wetting a segment and then dropping in some colors , letting them do their thing.

I am still playing with the background. I have also placed the "faces" to get an idea of where and how to create the passages of interest. I've also started painting the moss, again w/w with aureolin, quin. gold, quin. burnt orange and the blue shade of phthalo green.
As always, please feel most welcome to leave your comments - LOVE THEM!

She's Not Finished, but I HAD to Share

I masked the chick's perimeter, and the corn at her feet, and did a different w/w wash.
I REALLY like the effect - subtle, but gives a bit of depth.

Some quin. burnt orange and aureolin on her neck.

Varied greys of aureolin, pink and cobalt blue on her body, and some more intense blue-black on her neck.

She just looks so busy, in a chicken-ish sort of way. She makes me smile - I had to share.
Actually, I am having so much fun painting her, I almost feel guilty!