This project was a special gift for our pastor, who is retiring after many years of service to our church and others. It's a blessing to be able to make gifts for others who have given so much to us.

I try to create and donate pieces of artwork for local organizations whenever I can. This piece is being donated to our local arts council for their annual arts ball and auction.

Making a little progress. I like to slowly layer my paint as I work to hopefully give a more realistic look.

Beginning stages of my new watercolor using my planned color palette.

I love to dive into new projects, but with watercolors it's best to take my time and have a plan. The transparency of watercolors make for beautiful paintings but can be a nighmare if you don't work from light to dark. I've been making a color plan before starting my larger watercolors. Here's a sample: