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Last spring I started painting with gouache, a new challenge. Like with every new learning experience, it's a tale of 3 steps forward and 2 steps back. And if you really work hard at it, a step and a half sideways. The positive comments from folks, and a few sales have been my encouragement to keep trying. 

Gouache is water-based so it's a little easier to manage when I work plein air. And I don't have to try to figure out how to transport wet paintings when I take multi-day painting trips. And, I really like the matte finish, the velvety look.

Of course, even the littlest raindrops kill gouache paintings. The first time I tried using it outdoors the dang painting slid off my board and into the lake. Wiped the page clean. 

This medium is tricky. The colors don't mix as predictably as oils and repainting can make mud. 

The best part though is that it's so different from oil painting that it' has led me to rethink how I do everything: composition, lights and shadows, color intensity, loose vs tight drawing, and the emotions. Sometimes the cursed paint dries before I get it off the pallette! So I have to have a clearer idea of what I want before I start.

Another step toward, back, or sideways. Whatever it is, I keep moving.