What the ??? ... or ... Another Watercolor Mystery

Yesterday, I had been trying to do background washes without masking. It got to be just too awkward. So I let the painting dry, and applied masking to the flower and leaves, let it dry, and started applying washes of orange and green.The above photo is after at least four washes ...

... and this photo is after about ten washes. It really is a beautiful, glowing background. Unfortunately, when I was taking the masking off, I found it to feel like it had been mixed with honey, so sticky and tacky to the touch, and a real stinker to get off the paper. The masking did not come off well, and thin filmy bits remained as well as an overall sticky feel to the paper. I was hoping to be able to do more with the flower and leaves, but this is it. Thankfully, I have another one traced onto paper, and I've started painting the background.
I'm curious - has anyone else had this happen with masking fluid?

Thank you for dropping by! Your comments are always welcome!

UNDER-IMPRESSED with masking fluid ... AGAIN!!!!!

I started to work on the shadows first this morning, and was quite displeased to find that, although the paper "looked" all right, it did not accept water well at all. I really like to paint w/w, but with this painting, I am forced to dab and soften. I'd like to finish it as best as I am able, as I really do like the background.  I probably would have thrown it out, but I was watching/listening to the movie "Troy", and was happily distracted.
WOW, what a great movie!!! I've always enjoyed Greek and Roman mythology and history, and I found this movie to be quite well done. It didn't go into the meddling by the gods of Olympus - just focused on the war, and the siege of Troy. I am not a war-monger or lover of brutality by any stretch of the imagination, but the glory [I suppose] and the honor of one-on-one battle was very stirring.
Back to painting - and time to change masking fluid brands again.

As always, your comments are most welcome!

Time for a Big Flower

Washes of aureolin, quin. gold and alizarin crimson

More washes - quin. burnt orange, phthalo blue and alizarin

STILL more washes - phthalo blue, alizarin and a final quin. gold

The unveiling

Original photo


I was feeling the need to do something big and floral, so I checked  the photo library, and found this gorgeous hibiscus.  I did a sketch with the leaves included, and found it to look too cluttered. So I decided to paint a background that would give depth but allow the flower to dominate. I think there must be at least twenty graded washes in the background already, and I must say it felt GREAT to splash on paint with [relative] abandon! I'm not completely happy with the masking I'm using - finding it slightly marking the paper. If you have ideas on masking fluid brands, let me know, please. And, as ever, please let me know what you think ...