This is quite a large painting for me. I laid down several layers of a very dark green mix, then applied random lighter green over the base co lour very roughly following where some of the ripples will be going. I blocked in the floating and submerged summer green grasses to help me establish the contrast of colour and composition.

I now leave the grass to enable me to see the overall composition so I start to define the raindrops and the reflected sky. This is used to create pattern and light at times quite abstract. I do not always want to be 100% accurate in every detail as I believe the overall effect is worth the loss. As my dad always said its not what you put in but what you leave out.

Moving on and continuing to add ripples and the surface sheen I have added some weeds and foliage underneath the water, this does not show up on the images as it does on the original. I have added a floating branch for one of the birds.

I love the play of reflections on the water and the ripples including seeing the vegetation decomposing under the surface. There are so many variants to water and light that I could never paint two the same. Stare at a woodland stream or pond long enough and your eyes will focus on the surface then adjust to the deeper reflection of the trees and then again beneath the surface. Its like those pictures which you stare at long enough an image appears

Heading for the home straight. Finished off the ripples and worked on the grass more. Now I have added the Parent bird and roughly blocked in the young. Form here I will be adding some shadow on the birds and on the branch the finishing off the young one.

I decided to make the branch where the adult Grey wagtail is sitting as a simple branch and not floating to add further depth, I have not tried to add too much detail but to echo the floating branch. The yellow on the adult bird balances the floating leaf and other yellow vegetation in the top left.

The final touches have been added and the birds finished, you cannot see the insect in the adult wagtails mouth very clearly on this image. I will leave the painting for a few weeks and I might tone the grasses down.