I have had a pretty good day so far, and to celebrate I decided to make it even better by going out to sketch at the orange grove.
Practice does make perfect, or in this case, at least makes it better and more controlled. I enjoyed sketching a closeup of the oranges again. The last afternoon time meant that the shadows were going to change pretty rapidly, so going in I knew that I couldn't count on what I am seeing to make the painting. This compelled me to think more in terms of composition and what would look good, instead of slavishly capturing what I saw.
Watercolor sketch of oranges on the vine
The final effect is very different from yesterday's painting. There are parts of it that I like and parts of it that I would change, but overall I think I am heading in the right direction. Isn't that all that matters?