August, 5x7 in, Gouache on Paper
Inspired by the dog days of summer. Gouache on paper. Just because it's scorching out there doesn't mean I can't have fun painting. Indoors.
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 Penny Candy, 5x7 in, Gouache on Paper Summer is one of my favorite seasons, because it's great fun to draw and paint outdoors. But there's hot weather, and then there's HOT weather. And last week New York City was so hot and sticky that I decided to paint indoors. Fortunately I keep a bag of penny candy around for still life emergencies.
I love painting shiny, transparent wrappers, and penny candies are perfect for that. But they can also present problems. Because candy colors are quite intense, and if you're not careful the painting can become loud and garish. So I decided to stay mainly with yellows and oranges. And I threw in a few soft brown caramels to tone them down a bit. I must be a sucker for a challenge. Of all the colors to see and mix properly, green is probably the hardest. So what did I do? I went and choose a subject with limes and green hot sauce. The letters on the bottle were a bit intimidating too. Sure, I wanted it to look like lettering. But I didn't want it to look mechanical and dry. After all, this is a painting, not a photograph. Too much fussy detail could suck the life right out of it. So I did the only thing any self-respecting artist would do. I let the painting just sit there, unfinished, for a long, long time. What painting?  Hot Sauce & Limes, Preparatory Drawing But an unfinished painting is a low-grade irritant, like a pebble in my shoe. Sooner or later I had to face it. Preferably before the limes shriveled up. So I thought about what my teacher once told me. Don't be afraid to paint something difficult. Just go ahead and try it, and do your best to solve any problems that come up. Otherwise you'll be hiding out in The Safe Zone. And then your work won't be dynamic. And then you won't grow as an artist. And then ... Ay, carumba! Courage, CamilleOkay then, so it was finally time to get on with it. But first I watched this cool watercolor demo by James Gurney for encouragement and inspiration. In the video Gurney painted a theater marquee. Lettering and all. He was careful, but he didn't worry about making his letters stand perfect and straight, like soldiers in formation. I decided to give his method a try. And you know what? Hello muddah, hello faddah. It wasn't all that difficult. Actually, it was kinda fun!  Hot Sauce & Limes, 5x7 in, Gouache on Paper  Butterscotch Candy and Teapot, 5x7 in, Gouache on Paper Spring is a busy time for me at my day job. I wanted a still life set up that would wait patiently until I got to it. And wouldn't wilt, fade, droop or rot. More traditional still-life subjects, such as fruits and flowers are wonderful to paint, because they're beautiful, colorful, living things, and you can feel the "chi" energy running right through them. But if I don't paint them quickly enough the studio can get a little ripe, if you know what I mean. So this time I chose one of my other favorite subjects, translucent cellophane candy wrappers. I shudder to think that these wrappers, unlike fruits and flowers, will never biodegrade. But what can you do. They're ubiquitous in the modern world. And they're really really fun to paint.
 Pink Roses, 5x7 in, Gouache on Paper Symbol of love, beauty and joy. I thought roses would make a perfect wedding gift for my friend. So I ran down to the local florist shop and picked out a few lovely pinks for a still life. Then it was a furious race to get them down on paper before they wilted. And though it doesn't smell as sweet as a vase of fresh roses, at least the painting will last a long, long time.
 Pink Ladies & Watercress, 5x7 in, Gouache on Paper Another adventure in gouache. Two lovely pink ladies from the local Whole Foods Market. Wish I could say it was so easy a caveman could do it. Heh. But in truth this was a complicated subject, and it gave me un sacco di agita. A malady that sometimes occurs when painting tricky still lifes in an unfamiliar medium. However, I hung in there, mainly because I'm stubborn. And because it's the only way to learn.
Okay, that was a good workout. Time to set up another still life and begin again.  Two Pears, 5x7 in, Gouache on Paper When I saw these two pears at the market I loved the way they looked with their beautiful colors and dark purplish leaves. And I thought they'd be perfect for a still life. So I carefully carried them home, hoping and praying that the leaves wouldn't break off. And somehow they made it, leaves intact. But then, just as I was setting up the still life, there went one of them, snap! Oy, what to do? After careful analysis I decided to glue it back on. Who would know? Shhhhh, don't tell.
If you've been following along on my blog you may have noticed that painting in oils is my usual MO. But sometimes it's fun to mix it up and try other mediums. Recently I experimented with colored pencils. For this particular drawing I toned a piece of Stonehenge paper with a medium gray wash, since I don't like working on a stark white surface. Then I set up a still life with a handful of lovely Mandarin oranges, and proceeded to draw them in color. For the finishing touch I punched up the highlights with a bit of white gouache. Here's the result:  Mandarin Oranges, Colored Pencil with Gouache |
Julie Kessler
I'm a representational painter enchanted by the unique qualities of watercolor. Sometimes oils, gouache, colored pencils and other media call to me too. I started this blog to share my work and ideas about making art. Sometimes I toss other things into the mix. Such as painters I love, and art books and exhibits that inspire me. Your comments are welcome. I'd love to hear from you! Recent Posts
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