Search This Blog

Friday, July 12, 2013

Yes...the garden

Radishes   watercolor/gouache   9 x 12
"Radishes" is a watercolor and gouache painting.  The paper was first coated with permanent white gouache, mixed to the consistency of cream, and allowed to dry.  This method allows for more flexibility in moving colors around and also provides a bit of opacity where intended without the mud that sometimes occurs when layering watercolor pigments.  I have always used it as a counterpoint in the work, i.e. juxtaposing it with transparent passages for that point::counterpoint effect.  In this case, the opaques are mostly in the background, but ease their way into the bunch on the leaves in the upper left.

The only time I have relished (no pun intended) radishes was in a brewery in Mill Valley  where they were served as an hors d'oeuvre, sliced ever-so-thinly and served with a pat of creamy butter at room temperature.  They are always delicious when painted.