Once again, Robin replaces Goat

I tried to loosen up and paint a photo I took of a goat by a fence in a field. I got all splashy and loose with the paint, and it just looked like a mess. I couldn't give the face any distinct personality. Discouraged, I tossed that one in the trash. Maybe I am not destined to paint all splashy and loose. 

Then I pulled out this pencil drawing I had done of some kind of bird. I don't even know when I originally drew it. I thought I was going to use all the leftover green and yellow paint from the goat painting and make this a canary. But the bird didn't want to be a canary. 

I started with a very neutral gray blue and thought I would eventually layer the bright colors over it.  I kept layering on darker colors like dioxazine purple, thinking I would eventually get around to the green and yellow. But this bird didn't want to be sunny and bright. He wanted to be a robin. 

This happened to me before, a long time ago. I tried to paint a goat in a field of poppies, and he turned into an unassuming little bird, no poppies in sight. I guess I have to really work up to goats. I did fish that goat painting back out of the trash. If I get my nerve up and try again to make it work, I'll add it to the bottom of this post. 

I was feeling kind of good about this and showed it to an actual professional watercolor artist Saturday and she was ... let's say "whelmed." She said, "It's a start." But you know what? I'm happy with it. 

Mentioned:

Jan. 7, Fable: The goat that wanted to be a bird.
https://artnoramus.blogspot.com/2016/02/jan-7-fable-goat-that-wanted-to-be-bird.html