Lifting, Layering and Stamping--Giving New Life to a Static Painting

Last November I painted the version on the right of If Herons Dream. At the time, I was totally enamored by the two herons in the foreground. I also liked the simplicity of the barren areas in back of the birds. Creating this painting was somewhat stressful because it is transparent watercolor plus the method of application is not forgiving of errors. I entered it in a couple of competitions and it was not accepted in either show. So it has been sitting in a drawer for a few months until I pulled it out the other day and looked at it with a fresh eye.

If Herons Dream, After
30 x 22 inches, transparent watercolor

Although I still liked the composition and my subject matter, I realized it was quite static. That is really not my style. I started looking at the painting as a skeleton and my mission became filling it out, sweetening it up, making it move, and putting the MSG stamp on it. Now the upper image no longer lives in reality, only virtually. I'd love to hear what you think of the transformation.