"Hearts Alight" in Progress

I found this beautiful crystal heart dish in my favorite thrift store and just knew I had to use it.
So I put together this set up where all the contents are heart shaped.  I placed this in an east facing window and found my view with strong sunlight shooting thru the glass.

I always spend a lot of time on the drawing part of the prep.  I love drawing detail, always have, so I often linger on this before beginning the painting.  No amount of color will fix a bad drawing.
I have never painted crystal before.  The more I have worked out ahead the more confident I feel when I pick up my brush.

Laying in washes and beginning details.  I was most concerned about making that foil wrapped chocolate heart look convincing (never painted foil before either!).  But I think I've got it worked out so onward I go.

"Hearts Alight", Watercolor, 14" x 20"

© Carmella Tuliszewski

I knew painting the crystal would be challenging but I did not realize how difficult rendering the light refracted through the crystal would be!  Needs more play but so far so good.  Also it's all sitting on tissue wrapping paper.   I love the way the tissue looks in that upper left corner but the rest needs work.

Well, here I go into unknown territory with that crystal dish!  

I hope to have a finish to show in a few days.