Some you can't win

I've been mulling over one of my photos of the Dodder near Bushy Park for a couple of years, and I finally decided to take the plunge and paint it in watercolours.

Too blocky. But the pale blue in the centre is nice.
It's Delft Blue (Schmincke) by the way.

I'm aiming for a soft look, full of yummy colours and a good tonal balance. But it hasn't worked out so far - all I'm getting is blotchy and dull. Water is always a challenge for me - I find that there are so many strong contrasts and interesting reflections that I get lost in the detail and the end result is too solid.

I guess I haven't really found the recipe that works for me all the time. Probably to do with the fact that I'm interested in so many things, and constantly trying out different techniques.

This picture shows the second layer of the third
version. Lots of masking fluid used. Nice soft
colours. 

I'm currently on my third version, and going back to using masking fluid and working very wet in wet, actually spraying water on the page to make the paint move and mingle. It will probably end up too soft.

Now it's at the stage where I'm waiting for paint to dry. A lot of that goes on in watercolour painting.  If it doesn't work out, I will have to move on. But I have a stubborn streak, so I haven't given up yet!
You can't win them all! But you can try!