This is one of a series of originals that I colored on the same day. For me, inking and watercolor require different mindsets. While the India ink is precise and structured, watercolor is a different story altogether.

Not only does watercolor have a natural tendency to run and dry in an unpredictable manner, mixing the colors themselves can often be a bit on the tricky side. As a result, I often spend time inking out several originals before moving on to mixing and applying watercolor.

This piece is particularly intriguing to me since it is the second time that I have painted this particular area in Pari, Italia. The first piece “La Gardenia Segreda - I” has long since sold, and represented my very first attempt at using watercolor.

Now, more than a year and a half later, I am surprised at the differences and the similarities between this, and the original, piece. While I have added in much more detail, the watercolors have also taken on a softer tone. No doubt this is partially due to my switch from Winsor & Newton to MaimeriBlu colors, but I have also learned to work in layers and gradually add in color and depth rather than attempting to hit the correct color and tone right off the bat.

I was careful not to look at “La Gardenia Segreda - I” while creating this piece, since I wanted it to stand on its own as a snapshot of my current mentality and perspective on Pari.