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This is a painting of the Smithsonian Institution's Castle building with a bunch of the tents on the national mall for the annual Folklife Festival.

Watercolor on paper, 5 x 8 inches.

I'm the first to admit that this isn't really all that great, but I did learn a lot from doing this piece. 

My first mistake was not wetting the paper at all before I began, though I'm not sure it really would have helped today as it was over 100 while I was out.  The paint dried before I had any hope of mixing on the paper.   

Second, this was my first time out with this kit and I really didn't do any extensive testing regarding what the colors in my pans actually looked like or how they mixed.  I'm not sure what miracle I though was going to happen, but I will certainly be putting some time into getting used to my new travel kit, as I think that will make the biggest impact on my next painting.

Third, I can't see well.  I know I can't see well.  Yet I chose a subject at a distance that I had no hope of being able to see the more subtle details.  Until I get a little monocular telescope, I'm gong to stick to closer subjects.