This weekend, the Agricultural Stewardship Program held its annual Landscapes for Lands' Sakes art exhibition. There were scads of paintings on the walls of a very, very clean barn, and some pottery, and a couple of pieces of handmade furniture, all for sale, with 50% of the take going to the artist and the rest of the proceeds going to help keep agricultural land in agriculture. It was a wonderful show that I look forward to seeing every year.
Many of the artists who participate in the show dazzle me, but the two who really make my eyes pop out, who drive me to continue trying, trying, trying to learn how to paint, are Leslie Peck and Robert Moylan.
I can only dream about having such skill!
Moylan's work prompted me to dig out the gouache set that I'd kicked to the curb a while ago. How can he make such beautiful paintings with a medium that seems to dry on the brush before it gets to the paper?
Here's my itty bitty gouache painting of my home. Argh.
Sheesh. I have never been able to make a landscape that looked anything like reality. In any medium. But I have to say, the worst I've ever done has been in gouache. In fact, I can't believe I'm even posting this.
Oh. Woe is me. Gouache is difficult. Trees are difficult. Skies are difficult. I'm going to shove this in the wood stove and think about sticking to sculpture.
Many of the artists who participate in the show dazzle me, but the two who really make my eyes pop out, who drive me to continue trying, trying, trying to learn how to paint, are Leslie Peck and Robert Moylan.
I can only dream about having such skill!
Moylan's work prompted me to dig out the gouache set that I'd kicked to the curb a while ago. How can he make such beautiful paintings with a medium that seems to dry on the brush before it gets to the paper?
Here's my itty bitty gouache painting of my home. Argh.
Oh. Woe is me. Gouache is difficult. Trees are difficult. Skies are difficult. I'm going to shove this in the wood stove and think about sticking to sculpture.
You are so ridic, it's beautiful!
ReplyDeleteI have only done a few gouache paintings and know how challenging a medium it can be. Don't give up on the possibilties though. As I see it, there may be two culprits in your painting: 1.) the intensity of the green (which everyone has a challenge with!). 2.) the tree lines up too close with the house. Maybe if it was slightly to the left it might balance the composition more? Anyway, don't beat yourself up. It's a good painting
ReplyDeleteBrian, are those acrylics, then, lined up in your neat studio? Do you use the Lyra pencils in your illustrations? I'm enjoying the progression photos, by the way!
ReplyDeleteThey are Gamblin "FastMatte" oil paints. I really like them a lot and yes, I use the Lyra oil color pencils underneath and sometimes on top too. Still experimenting but I think I've narrowed down to a medium style that I will be sticking with.
ReplyDeleteIt seems to work--your illustrations are wonderful.
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