Unexpected

 

Marty 
Gouache, 5" x 7"

Well, I never. 

Never expected to become a country music fan. But a friend gave us tickets to see Marty Stuart and His Fabulous Superlatives perform this week in Iowa City. 

So the night before, we watched the eighth episode of Ken Burns' documentary on country music, and the day of, I listened to as much of Marty and the Superlatives as I could, and by that evening, I was all smiles as they played. They are fabulous! 

And now I'm eager to listen to more of this genre. 

Who thought this learning curve would arise?  

And what could possibly be next? 

(Oh, and yes, I know it doesn't look like Marty Stuart. But people can be fun to paint in gouache if you don't worry about making it look like them. I'm beginning to feel freer about painting family members. Stay tuned.)

(Oh, and I have Gayle Kabaker to thank for inspiration for all things gouache. Took a Zoom workshop from her a while ago and I'm hooked.)

And Again

 

Old-Timers
11" x 15" on Arches 100% cotton cold press paper

Well, I had to try it again. This is maybe the 7th iteration? Call me obsessed, but it's just such a classic scene with those two old buildings. And I do like this one better. It's looser and slightly more transparent--more watercolor-y, a little less heavy-handed. And fairly large at 11" x 15".

But truly, it's time to move on. What's next? 

Try, Try Again

 

"Nebraska"
11" x 15" watercolor on Arches 100% cotton cold press 

You know the saying: "If at first you don't succeed, try, try again." So...I've tried this one maybe five or six times. This one comes the closest, so far. We'll see if it passes the tape-to-the-wall test.

I do like the value study I did for this painting (below). I used just grey tones at first to establish where to put the darks, mediums, and lights for the "real" painting, and then just for fun I added color here and there, to map out a few colors I might use for the painting. It's often the cast that the dashed-off study can be more charming than the final product. This one charms me.

When I saw these dilapidated buildings in Nebraska last fall while riding along I-80 (we were traveling from Iowa to Colorado), I was arrested by the beauty of the scene. And I thought about how so many of the old barns and outbuildings in Iowa are being replaced by shiny metal buildings. I've tried to paint a few of those metal buildings, but I have to say, it just isn't very aesthetically pleasing. 

So...here's to the beauty of old barns, even those that are crumbling. 

Makes Me Smile
9" x 12" watercolor
on Arches 100% cotton cold press

Yes, they make me smile--those California lives oaks that dot the hillsides. I'm loving the slow unfolding of spring in Iowa this year--first time in seven years due to our CA hiatus--but I do miss those live oaks. 

Welcome Home

 

Welcome Home
9" x 11" watercolor
on Arches 100% cotton cold press paper

Yes, it felt like a welcome-home, this view outside our sunroom window upon waking up Wednesday a.m. after a 9-day trip to CA. These flowering crabs were at their peak of color. Then two nights later, a storm took away their beautiful pink and fuchsia petals. Thanks for the welcome, crabbies. 

Not Sure Yet

 

Sedona
10" x 10" watercolor on 100% cotton Arches Cold Press paper

Not sure if this one will pass the tape-on-the-wall-for-a-while test but I sure like it today. Fresh off the press, it's more muted color-wise than my usual style, with fewer hard edges. 

Whether it stands the test of more time, it does bring back memories of being full of wonder at the reds and greens in the Sedona area when I visited a few years ago and snapped the reference photo. Wowie. Nature is such a great painter! 

I was actually quite pleased with the value study I did in preparation for the top painting as I was trying to find the lights and darks. Sometimes the value studies are better than the final paintings.

Yes!

 

Country Road
11" x 15" watercolor on 100% Arches cotton cold press paper

I am unequivocably happy with this one. It's been taped to the wall for weeks and it has definitely passed the tape-on-the-wall-for-a-while test. Sometimes a painting looks good briefly, but after a few days, doesn't any more. 

This one still lifts my heart.