Pen & Ink, Wash, and White Gouache

Walnut Ink

Fountain Pen Ink

Plein air sketch with Walnut Ink

Plein air sketch with walnut ink and white gouache 

Plein air sketch with walnut ink and white gouache

Plein air sketch with walnut ink, white gouache and watercolor

Plein air sketch - start

Plein air sketch with walnut ink and white gouache

This past year, I discovered Walnut Ink.  It is a lovely brown colored ink that can be used with a pen, for a nice line, or a brush, for a lovely wash.  For years, I have used a fountain pen with brown fountain pen ink, so the walnut ink was a nice addition.  Both inks are not waterproof, and if I make a line and go over it with a wash, the line will "bleed".  

I work on a toned paper, usually Canson pastel paper in gray or tan, or I have made toned paper with watercolor (see 4th photo down).  I play off the tone by going darker or lighter to give me a sense of form and space.  Drawing like this has become my favorite way to work...working in simple masses of light and dark.  The set up is perfect for plein air sketches, because it is very portable, and it only requires a little water for the gouache.  I can make lighter brown tones by diluting the walnut ink with water.  By making additional washes of the ink, I can make darker tones.  The walnut ink acts much like watercolor and is quite compatible.

Winter Landscapes

Canyon Bridge 

Old Barn on Metcalf Road

Tree Line

January

Sunset

Snowing

It was -17 degrees at 8am this morning in Vermont, and the temperature climbed to around 7 degrees for a high.  That's cold....really cold!  When it comes to outdoor winter landscape painting, I admit that I am a whimp.  When I painted with Renee and Suzanne, it was not nearly as cold, and my hands could only take so much.   So, how do I normally paint winter landscapes?

My normal solution is look out of a window, either from the comfort of my car or a house.  The above paintings, all watercolor/gouache, were painted by looking out of a window.   

Jamie painting a winter landscape 

Jamie and I painting from her window.  I am painting Tree Line.

Since I opened my Etsy Store for etchings, called RealPrints, I have been seriously thinking of opening another store to sell small watercolor/gouache studies.  Some would be unmatted and unframed, and some would be framed.  Let me know what you think.

January 2013 - plein air

Hello.  I admire a lot of artists, and like many artists on Facebook, I have many Facebook artist friends. We enjoy seeing each other's work and reading about each other's studios and methods, but it is really fun to get to meet and paint with these friends in person.  When I noticed a post from an artist, who was painting in my area, I decided to contact her. Since I have lived and painted in VT for 33 years, I know a lot of good painting spots, and it was nice to share them.  Renee Lammers and Suzanne Brewer are Maine plein air painters, and I got to paint with them on January 14th.  I must admit, I love outdoor painting in the spring, summer, and fall, but painting outdoors in the winter.....I am a whimp!  Well, my normal solution for painting landscapes in the winter is to look out of a window from the comfort of a warm house or car.  But, painting outdoors in winter with others somehow helped, and the only things that really got cold were my hands.   We painted in Waterville, VT in the morning, and I did a small watercolor/gouache looking up a hill at some logs, and in the afternoon, I painted along Route 109 by the frozen Lamoille River.  Towards the end of the day, my brushes were icing up, but I had a great time and hope to go out with them again before they head back home.  

So, if you get a chance to meet and paint with other artists, reach out.  You will be glad you did!  

Etsy Shop

Hello.  I haven't posted in while, but I recently opened an Etsy shop to sell unframed and unmatted etchings.  The etchings are all original, hand-pulled prints by myself and my husband, Jack.  Our etchings are traditionally crafted from copper plates, and we print small editions, as well as unique artist proofs from various "states".  http://www.etsy.com/shop/RealPrints?ref=si_shop