"spring blossoms"

I'm not so sure about leaping over fences and trying something new, although it does appeal to me sometimes… often on evenings such as this, when I have just finished a painting which seems to have taken "forever"and I'm left with a result accompanied by the thought, "Why on earth did I paint this!"

At least I think I am finished!  I do not want to add one more brushstroke, indeed, I don't even want to look at it.  I think that something less 'realistic' might be appealing.  Perhaps, my next endeavour will be a 'semi'- abstract - because at this point, realism is exhausting and somewhat dissatisfying.

Anyway - for the record, this is "Spring Blossoms" and is from a photo taken last spring on an early morning stop at the Patterson Gardens…

Started reading a book today, Nita Engle's, How to Make a Watercolor Paint Itself.  Somehow I find the title inspiring yet at the same time totally incomprehensible!  But I do like her first point - "The one question you must ask yourself is this: "What is my underlying, guiding principle?""

While, I think it would be a good for me to process this question,  one goal that does guide me in painting realism is the idea of 'inviting the viewer into the painting' [as Engle also states her's to be, interestingly] - it would be good if there was a point of entrance for the viewer to be 'there' - a sense of being at home within what is portrayed…. lofty idea, I know…. but as I just said, I really must consider this more thoroughly.

All this being said, if you are reading this, and would like to comment on what it is about a painting, that 'grabs' - or makes you look at it a second time - please feel free to comment:)