Spring tree

I've learned a lot from this painting. The first version was a total disaster. I'm not even going to try to recover it. And certainly not show it here! But it got me thinking about my process and what paintings work for me. I realised for instance that painting a light under-layer rarely leads to a successful painting - I know it's a recognised watercolour method, but it just does nothing for me. Except for loose floral paintings. And also that using masking fluid or masking film makes my paintings too stilted. So here is what I came up with - call it a mission statement, or a reminder of who I am as a painter:

'I like to paint my watercolours in one session and one layer mostly, with no masking and minimal drawing, letting paint mix on the paper. I often start with the sky, which is the main subject of a lot of my paintings. Failed preliminary pieces are often part of the process'

I think part of the reason this works for me is that I do a lot of urban sketching, with pen or with watercolour. And what I love about these is the immediacy, not the accuracy. And the moment I start planning a painting, I lose that sense of urgency, that passion to capture the moment. One thing I like to plan though, is what colours I'm going to use, as I like to work with just a few colours, so I can avoid painting mud. So maybe let me reword:

'I like to paint my watercolours in one session and one layer mostly, with no masking and minimal drawing, letting paint mix on the paper. I will think about colours first. I often start with the sky, which is the main subject of a lot of my paintings. I try to paint like I sketch, feeling my way and following my instincts. Failed preliminary pieces are often part of the process.'

And then I tried another version on a larger sheet of watercolour paper:

Which do you prefer?