Birch Light

Gouache plein air painting of a sunlit birch tree.

Gouache painting 4 inches x 6 inches       $80

Please contact me if you are interested in similar artwork.

I have been experimenting with another watercolor painting medium called gouache. It is similar to watercolor in that it contains a pigment suspended in water, but it is more concentrated and opaque. You can even layer white or pastel colors to highlight and create a thicker texture. In watercolor, it is necessary to leave the white of the paper showing through to create a highlighted area. I find that gouache is a kind of cross between acrylic and watercolor.

I painted this landscape painting in our back yard. When I saw the light hitting the tree limbs against the dark pines in back, I thought it would make an interesting composition. I didn’t really use the qualities of qouache for this piece–its more like a traditional watercolor painting. But stay tuned.  I have plans to take this new medium on our next trip and explore it more fully.