“Cape Cod marsh painting”
6″ x 8″ gouache on watercolor paper / unframed

I recently went to an art supply shop (yes! hands-on shopping) and picked up a full set of gouache paint. If you are unfamiliar with gouache, it’s similar to watercolor. The difference is that gouache is opaque.  What I love about it is that I can layer lighter colors over dark ones just as I do with pastels. That’s not something that can be done with watercolor.

This medium is relatively new to me. What I love about it is that it drys very quickly so that I can layer within a short amount of time.

The reference I used is a photo that I took a couple of years back in Cape Cod. The marshes there are so beautiful!  The peat of the marsh is normally brown. I wanted to bump up the colors so I painted the peat purple which makes it more fun . . I think!

I’ve been away from the easel for most of the summer. There are so many things that I love about summer although the yard and garden work keep me pretty busy.  I’m always happy when fall comes around so that I can focus more on painting.