I am not sure if this watercolor does justice to the prompt of “treat” for #WorldWatercolorMonth2019! Macarons are delicate, colorful, absolutely delicious French treats – cookies? – and here we have pistachio, coffee, lemon, raspberrry, and orange. As cookies are one of my favorite treats (beats dog biscuits any day), I thought I would try to pay homage to a delightful accompaniment to coffee.
I guess if I was a true plein aire painter, I would be outside at the beach recording “Beach Fun” for #WorldWatercolorMonth2019. Alas, it is not to be.
Sort of “meh” about this one. It was a lot harder to do than I thought it would be – what is more simple than a pail and shovel? Well, it was! It’s like there are 3 different styles here – none of which match or integrate well. I like the shadows on the sand the best.
This one, I will say, makes me feel pretty good. I like the surf board and the highlights on the leash. As well, the foggy sky with the sun breaking through is a far cry from my usual blue skies. Overall, the atmosphere is good for beach fun, I think.
I really cannot say how much I am enjoying painting in gouache! Like watercolor, there are times it makes me crazy, but as I do more and more painting, it is beginning to make sense. Some of the colors I have are not what I really like, and it is easy to get muddy, just as in watercolor. Letting things happen is also part of gouache, as in watercolor, but that is the beauty of any art form – it can go places you never expect and create some lovely, happy accidents.
Tom is one of my photo buddies. We met in a digital photography class over 10 years ago. He is one of the nicest, kindest people in the world – I am so lucky to know him!
I don’t know about you, but rain forests belong in the tropics, filled with tigers and monkeys and long, poisonous snakes. At least, that is my fantasy. The French painter, Henri Rousseau, has a number of paintings which are of the jungle, and always make me think this is what a rain forest looks like.
This gouache is a tribute to the wonderful work of Rousseau, and while certainly not on the same caliber as his work, I hope it does convey the richness of his imagination with a bit of my own. 
Within the United States, we have a rain forest, the Hoh Rain Forest up in the Olympic Peninsula area. We went there several years ago on a road trip, and hiking through this forest was an eerie and otherworldly experience. You cannot see the sky for the density of the trees, branches, and moss overhead. Following the trail, which was clearly marked, showed you the wonder of a primitive world, bathed in its own soft gold-green light.
Ink, Yarn & Beer 