POPPIES FROM THE PAST

Busy, busy, getting ready to leave home for two months and haven't done any painting for about a week. We'll be flying to Juneau tomorrow if the weather lets us, and flying to Orlando on Friday. I'm planning to paint and blog when we get settled in Cedar Key, maybe even before we're settled.

I can't seem to find a scan I'm sure I did of a little gouache painting last week before I cleaned up the studio, so found this that I did in 2006 of poppies and peas from my garden.



Still life with Yellow Chair watercolor and gouache 24 x 18

As with most of my still life paintings, I painted the flowers first from life, sometimes with no idea of what else would be in the painting. I finished it several months later, adding the gouache background last. Looking at this now, the green pitcher seems to be floating, not grounded.... I never noticed that before.

HAPPY FISH

I don't think I mentioned when I posted my Valentine candies that they were many years old and in a box of "little things to paint someday." Also in the box were some little gold fish.


gouache painting about 6x6"


This little bowl seemed just the right thing to put in the same painting.

HEARTS IN THE WRONG PLACE

After doing the little Valentine card in watercolor, I decided to try painting the candies with gouache. I've used gouache in the past in still life paintings but always just in the flat backgrounds. I look around for something to put with the candies and came up with a little Chinese cloisonne dish.


gouache painting 5.5x5"

It really doesn't go at all with these little hearts. Chinese fortune cookies would have been more appropriate. I decided that copying the words from the candies would add insult to injury.... don't know if the LOVE will stay there.

I do like the looks though of the little dish..... much more vibrant than I'd ever be able to paint it with watercolor. I used gold watercolor on the table.

HAPPY ST. VALENTINE'S DAY

watercolor 3.3x4.7"

I moved the gouache paints out of the way for a while on Thursday and painted this for a valentine card for my grand daughter. Wishing you all a happy St. Valentine's Day full of love.

SOME MORE TREES AND BLUE SKY

gouache 3x5" on black gessoed watercolor paper

I did this value study last month of a stand of trees near the beach west of the Salmon River.... from a photo I took on a rare sunny day last winter.... Sitka Spruce, Coastal Pine and Cottonwood.


gouache 6x10" on gray gessoed watercolor paper

and just finished this from the same photo. I had a heck of a time with the sky... had to wipe it out 3 times because it was too dark in value, the last time after most of the trees were painted. I tried, unsuccessfully, to get some lighter value towards the horizon.

THE F/V APEX AT MIRROR COVE

These gouache paintings are taking a lot longer to paint than watercolors of the same size. I guess if I keep on doing them I'll start letting go of some of the detail. I probably should just try painting faster.... use larger brushes. I'd loosen up, but wouldn't like the results.


gouache 4x6"

This small piece took hours and it isn't even very detailed. I think this would have gone faster if I'd painted on a black ground instead of gray. Its our salmon troller, The F/V Apex, anchored in Mirror Harbor on West Chichikof Island.

OFF THE PARK ROAD

Here I am again questioning my sanity for having two blogs, since I can barely do justice to one. I've been working most days in the studio for the past month on gouache, and posting some of what I've done, since they are small, on my other blog Watercolor Postcards. Since some people might actually look for something here, here is a little one I did yesterday.

gouache 4x4"