2019 Currently Creating Abstract Birches

Abstract Birches

This series started with these five small gouache paintings. I loved the way the tree trunks and branches divided the paper and created small spaces to include different landscapes, seascapes, and colors. It was almost as if each space was a different time of day or location that the birches saw throughout their day. The paintings began small and relatively quickly painted. They could be completed in a sitting or two. These were the preliminary paintings to the acrylic abstract birches and they also become the artwork for a series of cards I designed available for purchase on the Etsy page Peak and Birch Designs. www.etsy.com/shop/peakandbirchdesigns

Gouache

I fell in love with gouache this summer during a road trip across the country with my husband. I had always used watercolors for travel but wanted more opaque and vivid colors for my paintings. I ordered a set of solid gouache paints perfect for travel by CARAN d'ACHE. I would absolutely suggest them! I bought them through Amazon and here is the link: https://www.amazon.com/Caran-dAche-Gouache-Studio-Assorted/dp/B000NMBKEA

Acrylic

After working through a few ideas with the abstract birches I bought some acrylics and began experimenting. In the past, I had exclusively used oils and hadn't worked much with acrylics. When I did work with them I never enjoyed their quick drying time and always found myself going back to oils. Well, I've had a change of heart and absolutely love working with the Holbein acrylics. I bought my Holbein acrylics in Burlington at Vermont Art Supply http://vermontartsupply.com.The colors are bright and vivid and the quick drying time allows me to paint multiple layers in just one studio session. I'm looking forward to experimenting with more mediums to mix with acrylic to change the drying time, thickness and finish.

Another first was working with these wood canvas panels. So far I am really enjoying them.