A Bit of Summer

My sister lives in Colorado where they are expecting some nasty, cold, snowy, icky weather. Nice to visit, but I don’t like living in it! As a result, a bit of summer, or certainly a bit of desert heat. As there is rather lush vegetation out in this neck of the woods, or desert, I think it must be early summer. And where I am in California, our 63F day has not been exactly summery. I need some heat – just like a lizard – to bask in. We’ll get it this weekend.

The more I look at the desert, the more I like it. The colors are a challenge as are the rock formations and plants. The light can be harsh and bright compared to the coast. The dirt varies from pale ochre to deep reds and oranges, with everything in between. Even the sky has its intensity and harshness, from sunny and bright to dark and foreboding with the threat of cloudbursts and thunderstorms.

I took my gouache paints with me to my painting class. I’ve missed a number of sessions just because my back was not happy and lifting or carrying became a challenge for several days. My oil paints are heavy to lug around, but gouache takes up a lot less room and weighs a lot less, too. Paper is less cumbersome than canvas, and what I used to paint on weighs very little as well. I made it to class with a shopping bag and my purse for all I needed.

Gouache always makes me happy – the colors are so ridiculously gouache-y! They have a vibrancy which nothing else equals, and so they are fun to use. Some people dislike their in-your-face quality. Add to that, the artists gouache is water soluble and clean up is a breeze. A few soft brushes, some water, smooth paper (I prefer Arches hot press 140# all-cotton paper, FYI), and a fairly extensive color selection. Zinc white is used for mixing, but titanium white is useful where you need a bright white or a bit more opacity. Ivory black is also part of the color selection. Altogether, gouache has a lot of qualities that other media have while have a unique quality all their own. Fast drying, opaque, dilutable, etc., etc., etc.

Try them, you might like them.

Gouache, Arches 140# cotton hot press watercolor paper, 9×12.