Gouache B'gosh

So I sort of committed myself to the "First Love" exhibit at my favorite store in Petalumsky, which is of course the Boomerang Gallery at Heebe Jeebe. Why oh why do I commit to things when I haven't the time? Why? I truly am my mother's daughter. My sister and I used to bemoan my mother who was the queen of volunteering herself to this and that, sometimes at the expense to herself. I guess the women in my family are slightly kooky, it's the Irish and Scottish genes duking it out with the French ones. Or, perhaps we simply like challenges.

Then Drew, the proprietress extraordinare let me know last week that it's going to be a "kid's show" as a lot of kids are in it. Now I can compete with anybody, or at least I'll try, but kids?
Jeesh! The pressure. It should be fun even if they do show us adults up.

So, two days before my project is due, I decide to finally make something. Not only did I procrastinate, but I also chose a medium I've never used before; gouache! Now I have never been a big fan of watercolor and watercolor is much like gouache I am told. I find the medium wishy-washy and lacking in life and character. Most watercolor paintings I've seen look like bad hotel art to me. Plus, living in Sonoma County, it seems most watercolor amateurs as well as professionals go for that 'uber So-Co look' of the stale and tame bunch of water-color grapes.

Yawn.

My favorite paintings are acrylic and oils, and I may still go over this for some depth with acrylic. I have no idea how acrylics will behave with the gouache. I cannot think it will be an incompatible mixture.

Hence, my ambivalence and disrespect for watercolor. However, I have seen a few paintings I've liked, one from my aunt who actually does watercolors that make me change my mind about this medium. I'm told watercolor behaves much like gouache, but more opaque and dries quite chalky. Boy, is that the truth.

So, I started on a painting in a medium that is a bit of a learning curve as I absolutely do not know how to tame this gouache and get it to go and stay where I put it. This medium moves all around and flows into places you don't want it to go. It's layer upon layer. And you have to be careful or you can build up layers where you don't want them. Also, I'm not so sure I was supposed to have used canvas, I think a good piece of Arches watercolor paper would have worked out much more seamless with this medium, particularly with my delicate brushes which would whisk the paper much more smoothly and not lift -off as nubbier canvas does.

My original concept was to paint a fantastical stack of books, as books were my "First Love" so to speak. Instead I painted what I love to paint best, wistful looking gals. She looks completely bereft about something. A lost first love perhaps? But this is what came out instead of this funky book concept I originally started with.

Sighh. So here I sit with a half-finished painting. The clock is ticking. Can this rebellious water-color artist finish or will she smash it against the wall and start over?