More Art!

Art! I love the creative exploration of expression that art offers to the artist and the beholder. Art can stir up memories of a place and time long forgotten because there's just something about the color or the shape in the artwork that floods us with remembrance. Art speaks to the soul and helps us to dream and imagine. Art! I'm not a great artist by any means, but here is my first post with an art piece I worked on a month ago and the technique I used to complete it.
My original idea was to paint a willow tree that had a lot of white highlights to represent a type of "wedding tree". And yes, I'm still in wedding mode. ;)

Before I put any color on my canvas, I drew out the shape of the willow tree and grass with water and my fingertips. Next, I used acrylics watered down to more of a watercolor substance, while still maintaining a few streaks of the thicker acrylic paint. This painting was done entirely with my fingers. I used black first to get my shadows in place. Hmmm, this almost reminds me of ink blots. What do you see???

I added the greens and browns next. The trick was to not "over paint". I did not want to loose the watermark look. To give texture to the background behind the tree and grass, I flicked paint with my fingertips.

After looking back at my last picture to see how the shape of my tree was coming along,  I noticed that it needed to be filled out more. No scrawny willow trees!!! After that I let the paint and water dry a little, but not completely.

The next color I used for the shadows in the tree was blue. I think it looks a little sad right now.

 It's time for some highlights and a "happy" color: yellow! I also flicked blue and yellow onto the background.

Almost finished. After noticing how the tree wasn't looking as "happy" as I wanted it to, I added a few more colors; red, purple and more yellow. There's more flicks of paint on the background, too!! 

I think that was one of my favorite parts... a little flick of red here, a flick of purple there. whoo hoo! You really can get carried away with flicking paint ;)

The final product. It's different than what I first imagined, but that's the way my artwork goes... and I'm okay with that :)

That's all for now. It's time to bring my Hubby some lunch!

Note/unrelated note: I got my windows washed this morning!! yay!!