Simple Botanical Illustrations With Gouache
I packed a journal as well as gouache and watercolor paints in my suitcase as we headed off for our summer adventures, with great hopes of painting and sketching. As it turned out the travel adventures were so captivating that I used up my creative energy simply drinking it all in, especially during our 2 1/2 amazing weeks in Sweden! I did paint a bit, though not nearly as much as I had planned, but of course I have plenty of photos to use as inspiration should the need start bubbling up from within now that we are home. I will share my few journal paintings soon, but first I’d like to show you what I did finally have time for once we founds ourselves with family in the USA for 5 days: a little introduction to painting with gouache and watercolor. Gouache is chalky and opaque, yet can also be used like water color paint, so it is very versatile, and no surprise the paint traditionally used by pattern designers to create artwork for textile design. Gouache is also pigment dense and comes in small tubes, so perfect for travel as well. To give credit where credit is due, my paintings are the result of a lovely 30 day online workshop by Carolyn Gavin on creative bug. Lets take a closer look!
Simple and sweet, the kind of little paintings that would make great cards! And in fact the little floral on white seen below was used as a thank you card to my mother at the end of our adventures in the Boston area together. Ah yes, and I gave the not so successful ones to my kids to use as thank you cards as well!
The white gouache on a blue wash (a separate post about that is coming soon) was my own doing, not inspired by the course, and looking at it now, I actually really like it, which only happens with me and my art a ways down the road. Not sure why that is, but so be it. I have even painted over paintings and later regretted it, so have to remember to just let the artwork live a bit before thinking about destroying it!
So dear readers, whether or not you are happy with the results of your painting explorations, it really doesn’t matter. What matters is diving in and just doing, and doing and doing, and that surely will lead to results that give you joy!
