The process of painting every day last month led me to reflect on the awkward in-between stages of a painting. With watercolor, the lightest shades have to be painted in first, and the darker colors are built up in successive layers that make the lighter colors pop into focus. In a painting like this one, there are a LOT of layers, and the finished product looks almost nothing like the first few layers. I can’t analyze those early layers too much– I can just take the next step, with the confidence that this painting will continue to unfold.
Today I’m working on another nocturne of the garden. The original painting of the last garden nocturne just made its way into its forever home, and I’m so happy about it. But it did motivate me to want to paint another one– I can’t get enough of that soft twinkly glow!
Above is a series of layers I went through in building up the nocturne… the early layers are almost unrecognizable! I like how bits of those first layers are still visible, shining through in the finished product. So fascinated with this process– more nocturnes to come, and I may even venture out of the back yard!
Katie Broussard 
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