Bridge over Cayuga inlet

[P. Barrie]

Gouache on gessoed panel
14” x 11”
Painted mostly on site from life, then finished in studio. Found out the hard way that gouache dries to fast on the palette for working outdoors in the sun.
FYI, this was sealed with Gamblin Gamvar, matte finish I deftly and quickly brushed it on with a soft fine hair brush.

 

[Artyczar]

So beautiful. I wouldn't have guessed it was gouache. It almost looks like an oil painting. Very well done!

 

[snoball]

Beautiful. Love the light in this.
One trick I've used with acrylic and I think would probably work also with gouache, is to keep a mister bottle handy and mist from a ways back.

 

[Artyczar]

Great idea sno. I have some gouaches that don't recover with water. I hate those and have stopped using them. I went back to my Winsor Newtons.

 

[P. Barrie]

Thank you! I start with thinned paint, then more opaque as it progresses, pretty much how I use oils. I used a mister, but working in the sun the paint still got sticky very quickly. I will still use gouache indoors, but not plein air again, as I spent more time keeping the palette moist than actually getting paint on the image. I’m not fast enough for gouache outdoors (like James Gurney).

 

[moscatel]

P.Barrie, your painting is floating in sun shine. Beautiful light indeed in this is plein air - you have nice spot to paint here and interesting subjects to make a composition. Were there lots of people passing by while you were painting? I specially like the middle ground tree line that disappears behind the bridge how each tree is different in your painting. In a view like this outdoors I know this kind of tree lines can be tricky to handle so that the line and trees won't become too equal. Everything is beautiful in this painting. Love it!

 

[P. Barrie]

I appreciate all the compliments.
I have not had a lot of success with plein air. It is very challenging and requires continued focus and effort at my level of experience. Another dilemma is in the summer, I always get very busy with chores around the house and yard. I also get weary of painting all the summer greens. I plan to make more time this fall for painting outside. Maybe I’ll brave the snow this winter. I love the winter colors.

 

[Katie]

Lovely.

 

[moscatel]

P.Barrie, I thought I would have gone painting snow plein air last winter but the first time in my life we had no snow. I used to go painting snow outside and when you go near 0 Celcius (32 F) it can be warm in the forest for example. Linseed oil freezes in cold weather but I mostly use turpentine which is ok in cold. Remains to be seen if I can paint snow this coming winter. Fall colors will be nice to paint outside. I did couple of yellow-red fall color scenes last fall but they didn't turn out that successful. Must try again this fall if my knee gets better.