Oct 3, Three Days, Three Paintings

My first try at gouache....and I loved it. Lots to learn, it handles very differently from any other medium I have used. One brush, a little water and a very basic palette of color.

My "daily painting" today.
It got a little messy and I just had to stop, learning to paint with a knife is not as easy as it sounds, but this is supposed to be a learning experience.

Rainy weekends are good for painting, changing the water in the hot tub and eating cookies!

My first day. Painted with three colors, no brushes, mediums or thinners. Cleanup is a breeze, but I can see my self going broke very quickly.

I did not expect this, but I am very content with my first one. I am going to try to stick to a very limited palette for a while.

Starting Oct 1 I will be doing a painting a day.....it may be small, it might really be a drawing with a little paint splashed on for fun, but it will force me to paint and I am sure my skills will be sharpened.

I did this little sketch yesterday from a found object. When I was getting out of my kayak the other day, I spotted this lure tangled in some rope and plants on the shore. I have fond memories of stepping on these as a child, so I spent several minutes getting bit by assorted flies....just to get this out, and perhaps help someone avoid these rusty barbs. Found objects can be fun!

Empty

This is a quick study of my friends camp here in Weld. She has moved away, and it is empty. I tried to capture the feeling by seeing through the window to the lake. Flowers in the window boxes are tended to by family as the camp waits to be sold.

Here I used a limited palette with Ultramarine as my blue. I have become intrigued by the Painting a Day movement again, and I think I just might jump in soon.

Lilies, Aunt Betty Pond, Acadia

We just got back from a bike riding vacation in Acadia National Park. The carriage roads are the perfect place to bike, and we were able to cover most of them the week we were there. I bought a cute basket for the front of my bike so my camera and paints would be easy to get to. The basket ended up heavy and interfered with my steering. We hardly stopped for pictures, one spot was Aunt Betty Pond, where I took the reference photo for this study. I am not very happy with the result, but I will take a mulligan. If this blog is a record of my progress, then I guess this should be here.

Camden Maine is one of the prettiest towns I have ever been in. We spent the night last June, and early in the morning took a walk around the residential part of town, where I took the reference photo for this sketch. I think I could spend a month painting in Camden and not be bored. The harbor is quaint, the architecture amazing, and the food choices are abundant.

Camden also is the home to one of my favorite little shops, French and Brawn. I always need to stop for some of their horseradish cheese and dried Kiwis.