I’ve had time to continue playing with my new paints. I still need more time. I’m remembering why gouache frustrated me so much previously. I feel as though I can’t wrap my head around how to use it properly. Or… again, I’m too impatient to use them to their fullest effect. It could be the paper, it could be the quality of the paints, it could most likely be me. I just don’t know at this point. It’s admittedly too soon to tell, but I’d like to paint something significant sooner than later.
You can see where it got too wet on two leaves. The binder has lifted and is showing through
Slightly more progress, but at this point I had basically called it quits
Ta-da. “““Done””” 🙄
I used my Fabriano watercolor paper. It usually works really well with my poster colors and I can’t say it was incompatible with this gouache but it didn’t do what I hoped. Then again, I had trouble figuring out the leaves and everything so I fiddled around too much with the surface. I’m going to try something else today and we’ll see how that goes. I still need to make that yellow ochre painting for the individual that voted for it last. I’m trying to encourage myself to utilize colors I don’t often reach for so there may be a purple painting in the near future. I just want this stuff to work, haha. But I imagine it’s more an issue of just being better at painting in general. I have to “git gud” so to speak.
Doing all of this reminded me that I won’t get to paint my captured scenes of social humor/awkwardness as I had imagined several months ago. I know places in New Jersey are opening back up but I can’t take the risk of exposure by carousing with folks this soon. Though sitting outside at a restaurant sounds very nice. I have a huge backlog of photos I wanted to turn into paintings a while back. I thought I’d get to them eventually but the option is now an obligation. I’d do more paintings of myself in my bedroom but my room is still not in shape for that. Hard to photograph when nothing is where it should be and I don’t have those fantastic ambient lamps to provide good lighting. I’m thinking of candids I took of friends years ago. I suppose I’ll start there eventually.
And I miss hiking. I had the chance to do it a few times back in Los Angeles and long ago here in New Jersey but that doesn’t seem like it’ll be possible for a while either. I don’t really know where to look for pretty natural landscapes that are closeby. I know there are plenty, but I’m inept in that department.
Anyway, there’s plenty I can do from home, it’s like it was before except I really wish I could go hang out. Don’t know what you got ‘til it’s gone I suppose.
Like who? That sounds like a bad idea on most accounts. Oh, Co-star!
I’ve been curious about how I could meet more folks in this new landscape. Long ago I joined Meetup.com to find cool things to do in Los Angeles with other people but never made the time to attend the events I was interested in. I had kept track of wine tastings, a local sketch group, and a bar hopping shindig. I recently tried searching here in New Jersey but there isn’t much happening where I live even virtually, sadly. I’d love for a virtual sketching group to crop up but all of the art related things are actual classes, not relaxed hangouts. Rhonda keeps suggesting I put myself out there, the easiest way to do that is to participate and show up for activities that I already care about but…. times have changed, haha. I know it’s still possible, but doing it from inside will be a unique challenge. Time and effort will tell.
P.S. I passed out while writing the last paragraph. I’m exhausted today. I continue to wake up suddenly at 6 AM only to fall asleep and wake up in the afternoon. Not great.