What is this mess?

When I paint commissions, I go through stages something like this:

1. Not sure, but I will try
2. Piece of cake
3. What is this mess?
4. What have I gotten myself into?
5. I’ve got this.
6. What is this mess?
7. Who told me I could paint?
8. Ooh, I love to draw with my paintbrush!
9. What is this mess?
10. Oh my goodness, I think I am going to finish soon!
11. What is this mess?
12. Make a harshly honest list and fix those things.
13. Can’t find another thing to fix, better sign it and get it out of my face before I mess it up.

This was probably about step 8.

Then I hit step 9.

I painted for a morning, repairing all sorts of messes, drawing with my paintbrush. Can you see the improvements?

Now it might be at step #10.

It looks wrong in this light. But you can see that only a small portion in the lower right hand corner remains untouched. I might hit a couple more “What is this mess” stages. I went a little nutso trying to get the highway better, narrowing the driveway at the bottom, detailing the rows of citrus trees more, adding in a few more buildings and tightening up the ones that were there, and planting a couple of new groves. I did not darken the blue mountains but actually lightened them. However, this is not apparent in the poor light of early afternoon photography.

Then I had to quit because my friends were waiting for me to come over and make some more stepping stones.

More remains, but the fat lady will be warming up her vocal cords soon.