Leaf of the Day; K2 almost finished

The mountaineering analogy seemed more apt the more I worked on the kohlrabi, progress measured inch by painstaking inch. I decided some time ago that I was not going to resort to a magnifying glass for painting. They are useful for looking at the details of the plants and I know some artists do use them but if I can't see something with out my good glasses then I am not going to worry about it too much. One undoubted advantage of age and less acute eyesight is that everything has nicely blurred, soft focus edges, including wrinkles, grubby worksurfaces and the wobbly edges on my work. To submit my kohlrabi to the pitiless scrutiny of the magnifying glass would seem too cruel and could be just too disheartening.
My models are all wilting and smell more cabbagey by the day, but they have stayed fairly fresh in the fridge every night. In the photo below you can see them along with K1 at the back.

This is the most complicated piece I have tackled so far and the biggest ..phew.. I will think twice before doing a dark subject with dark leaves again. I used an amalgam of bits and pieces, a leaf from one and the rounded base from another. They all differ in colour slightly but all did have a purple tip to almost every leaf serration, which drove me to distraction.
I can't say it is really "finished" and as usual, all I can see now are the mistakes, but I have had enough of it. Tomorrow I will venture out and see if the world is still there.. hurrahhhh..



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Kohlrabi middle and (almost) final stage






Watercolour on Fabriano Artistico HP, size 16.5 x 12 inches.