Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Dorset Landscape in Gouache


Dorset in Gouache on grey paper - 5" x 7"

Even though August is supposed to be my printmaking month, I'm missing the little landscapes I was painting during my morning walks in July.

Since it's been too hot and I've been lacking motivation, I haven't been Sketchercising but when our friend Catherine M. sent some photos of a walk in the Dorset countryside, I decided to make it a gouache exercise. I'm still not at all comfortable with gouache but when I see what artists like Nathan Fowkes can do with opaque watercolour, I have to keep trying.

21 comments:

Cathy Gatland said...

This is lovely Robyn - great feeling of distance and the light and shade on the clouds and the fields is really convincing. I've bought a few tubes of gouache too since seeing Martin's sketches, haven't tried them out yet!

Stacy said...

Robyn, you might not be comfortable, but no one would ever guess. This is a stunning painting!! I love it. Fresh colors and, I agree with Cathy, a good feeling of distance. I'm looking forward to your future tries.

Robyn Sinclair said...

Thanks, Cathy. I look forward to exchange notes with you on gouache. I was quite pleased with the sky - I'm not a sky expert.

Stacy said...

I had to come back and say thank you for the link to Nathan Fowkes. His work is amazing.

Jennifer Rose said...

really nice light and airy looking landscape :)

Joan said...

It seems so strange to see a landscape that isn't of Italy!!! I thought you might be traveling.lol You did a great job with the guoache!

Pat said...

Your paintings are wonderful and this one is no exception. I am so glad you decided to do this little jewel.

Caroline said...

Well, comfortable or not, you've made a lovely painting here! I like the brushstrokes, textures and movement - also that you've managed to keep the colours so fresh looking!

Dermott said...

Are those sheep in the distance?

Mmmmm.

Work? Or leg of lamb for supper?

Decisions decisions.

Jennifer Rose said...

def. leg of lamb for dinner :D

Making A Mark said...

Wow - this is really impressive. I'm now wondering what you'd be like with oils!

I got my gouache tubes out recently. You've got me inspired to have a go.

Nancy Van Blaricom said...

You are truely amazing... is there any medium you are not good at? Very nice.

vivien said...

well I looked at it and thought 'that looks just like England, not Tuscany'

so you've obviously caught it!

nice

dominique eichi said...

Well you keep trying and we keep enjoying these beautiful pieces. This is just lovely.

Robyn Sinclair said...

Katherine - Thank you. I thought you knew 'oils' hate me :( I'd love to see you using gouache. I think it would work well as a ground for coloured pencil too. Jump in! It's fun.

Nancy - You are far too kind but thank you :)

Vivien - Many thanks. I'd love to try and catch it en plein air.

Thank you, Dominique.

Just realised an earlier thank you comment I wrote seems to have disappeared!

Robyn Sinclair said...

Stacy - I'd love to be able to do a workshop with Nathan Fowkes. I think you need to see those brush strokes being laid down and the consistency of the paint. Sigh!

Jennifer - Thanks :) By the way I'm trying to talk Dermott into becoming a vegetarian!

Joan - I don't travel! Stuck at home with the dogs. Never has a blog been so inappropriately named!

Pat - Thank you!

Caroline - I'm glad you think the colour looks fresh - I feared it wouldn't while I was painting. I think it dried brighter, if that's possible.

Sydney Harper said...

This is very nice. It doesn't look like you were uncomfortable at all. The colors are so nice and clear.

One of these days, I'm going to give gouache a try.

Candy said...

I agree with everyone else - this is lovely. Also, thank you for the link to Nathan Fowkes. I enjoyed looking at his work. Please tell Dermott that he'll like being a vegetarian once he gets used to it:)

Dana said...

I think your pieces is lovely, Robyn. I have used gouache for years in painting detailed botanicals, but will have to venture out with it more. I have felt it does dry brighter, even when I am using it for calligraphy.
Thanks for the link to Nathan Fowkes. I have enjoyed looking at what he can do with gouache.

Sherrie York said...

And of course, one of my favorite printmaking heroes, Gustave Baumann, did his preliminary sketches for woodcuts in gouache on toned paper. And oh-my-gosh... Joseph Crawhall's (his father was a woodcut artist) paintings in watercolor and gouache on unprimed linen!

(There's a Baumann exhibition note here, but not pix of prints, sadly:
http://www.nmartmuseum.org/gustave-baumann-a-santa-fe-legend.html

and a stub about Joseph Crawhall here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Crawhall_III)

annie said...

Robyn, so beautiful. As everyone is saying, such light and space and freshness-- love your sky. What an eye opener about gouache which I don't go near except for white. I have to rethink gouache in a big way.
And thanks for the Nathan Fowkes link-- I think I'm in love....
annie

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