I thought you may be interested to follow my painting process. I don't always paint in the same way- it depends how I feel on the day, but here goes! In autumn I am fascinated by seedheads, some of these can be really lovely, especially poppies. After the flamboyant flowers you're left with these intricate shapes, with delicate colours.
The first stage is to sketch out my composition, focusing on the round shapes of both the seed pods and the bit at the top.I don't want them all to be the star of the show, so have to decide which ones are the most important, and I've chosen three. Once i've sketched them in I rub out some of the lines, as I want this to be a casual feeling painting.
In the second image I've begun to add the darkest darks - the white of the paper is already my lightest shade - so this gives me my full tonal range. 
In the third image I've introduced middle tones and colour, I've settled on a very neutral palette of ultramarine blue, burnt sienna and rose madder. Adding warmth to the seed heads begins to mould their shapes.
In the final image I've decided that to make them "pop" I need to darken the background, using  ultramarine/burnt sienna wet in wet, so that the edges stay soft and dreamy. I've softened the edges of the seed pods here and there so that they blend into the background. And that's it- done! I've captured what I set out to do, time to stop before I start fiddling with it and ruin it!
 

I often have other painters call in to my studio when they're travelling the South Island. It's great to talk about painting with them and find out what they're up to . Yesterday an artist  called in who stopped to chat for a while - he said he is searching for a market niche, convinced that he'll discover a painting subject that everyone wants to buy. He told me about a friend of his who sells "hundreds of paintings of sailing boats in Sydney harbour". I was gobsmacked. The thought of painting the same subject over and over makes me fall into a stupor! I tried to convince him that paintings made with passion will always win over worn out subject matter, but don't think I succeeded. he told me that he'd been driving through the South Island looking for inspiration for his niche- as he left I asked him if he was sketching as he travelled, the answer (with a surprised look) was no! I think I'll just carry on painting what I enjoy- the world as I see it, and not fall into the trap.“Do not ask your children
to strive for extraordinary lives.
Such striving may seem admirable,
but it is the way of foolishness.
Help them instead to find the wonder
and the marvel of an ordinary life.
Show them the joy of tasting
tomatoes, apples and pears.
Show them how to cry
when pets and people die.
Show them the infinite pleasure
in the touch of a hand.
And make the ordinary come alive for them.
The extraordinary will take care of itself.” 
― William Martin, The Parent's Tao Te Ching: Ancient Advice for Modern Parents