This painting, I had started a while back. The inspiration is from this scene, the photos of which I had taken in our back yard, while living in Weil Am Rhein, Germany. Its a small garden with a pond and waterfall next to these palm trees. The red geraniums (Spiritual Happiness) that I grew in pots, flowered abundantly and it was a pleasurable spot to enjoy in the summer.
I liked the cascade of light in the photo below but the photo below this one is the one I chose for the painting. The diagonal lines below the fence takes us into the scene where as the first photo has a rather flat look. Also the light in the second photo is focussed more on the grape vine which is what I wanted.
I then made a sketch, calculating a few measurements of the main palm leaves (the painting is roughly 2.5 times the photo) so that I don’t end up with some parts larger than the others.
Here is the final drawing transfered to watercolor paper, the grape vine was too straight , I changed it into a more pleasing slightly downward curve and added a bunch of grapes and a robin from parts of photos from the RIL of wetcanvas.com. Thanks to Marita and Pete for the same.
Watercolor Journal 