Noon In the Beekeeper's Garden, 9"x9", plus a gelli print "Game of Checkers"

This is a painting with Golden fluid acrylics and some gouache plus turquoise and black pen.

I made this gelli plate print yesterday with the idea of two figures sitting at a table. First I brayered yellow on the whole plate, then brayered some green on the bottom half. I painted on two figures in green. I added some yellow stencilled dots at the top of the paper before pulling the print off. I like how the dots show through the yellow upper half of the print:

Then I started painting it and turned it into a checkers game. I don't like the finished piece overall, and I've thought about what bothers me so much about it. I think it's the dissonance created by the green and orange at the top, and the pink and purple at the bottom. The colors are just not pleasing to me in this juxtaposition. I do, however, really like the little checkers pieces! I also like the posture/form of the figure on the left. It reminds me of someone in deep concentration, considering the board, thinking about his next move.

And my favorite part of doing that painting was this print I pulled off the plate after pulling the original- I brayered on the excess greenish paint so as not to waste it. This is a 9"x9" piece of paper, with a 6"x6" print on it, so it looks framed nicely. I love all the little elements in it. You can see the frame of the figures (sideways) if you look closely. I like the little white splotches. This will look nice as is, framed.