I worked on these two paintings today before my daughter and I went to the marina to work on The Betty Jane. The left-hand painting, The Delegate, is sailing along, to use a nautical allusion. Two days ago, I lightly varnished it with my special varnish. Now, the surface is really sweet and the colors no longer sink in.
I recommend an intermediate varnish when your colors start to sink. The cool or bluer greens frequently sink or form surfaces that are unpleasant to my eye. A quick-drying varnish corrects that.