Cloud VII

Oil on gessosed card, 4" x 4"

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Thunderheads

Gouache sketch on blue paper, 3" x 4"

I have been working hard on several paintings that are more

complicated . They require a lot of concentration, but leave

me little time for daily painting right now. I don't want to go back

on my resolution, but being preoccupied with painting is the point

here, I think(?). Not a daily race to see who can publish first.

So, I've posted one in the series of small landscape sketches in gouache

that I have been doing all along. Gouache fascinates me, because you

can use it either like watercolor (transparently), or opaquely, the way

it is really meant to be used. I like the leeway that gives me to experiment.

This particular study doesn't have any transparency in it, and was painted

fairly thickly, kind of like an oil painting. Anyone who loves oil painting
would love working in gouache!

Thanks for visiting today.

Sunset Sketch

Oil on Gessoed Wood, 5" x 7.5", click here to bid

I photographed this right after I finished painting it, so that explains

the glare. This was really fun to do. I used a different medium today,

which was essentially just linseed oil with some solvent in it. I usually

use Winsor & Newton's Liquin, and have for years, because it is such

a good glazing medium. But, this is a very frank sketch, so something

where you can just push and smear the paint around is best for

something like this. It's really fun.

Another good sketching medium is Dorland's wax medium. It also has

the advantage that it dries almost instantly, and, it can be buffed up

with a cloth when it's dry. How weird is that? Mix a little Liquin with it

to make it more fluid, and it's really great. By itself it's good for palette

knife work.

Thanks for visiting today.