In the past week, I painted several times at Santee Lakes as I got ready to give a demo sponsored by the San Diego Watercolor Society that took place last Saturday. I posted my first two practice pieces on this blog the final week of December and am now adding two more practice pieces and the three pieces I painted during the demo.
This past Wednesday was cold and overcast, and the scene was about as close to a wintery look as we get in coastal California. Here are the two practice pieces I did that day.
I was expecting something similar on Saturday for the demo, but it was a much colder day with a much brighter sky and warm tones everywhere. Additionally, the lakes had been restocked, so the water had lots of fish, and the shoreline had lots of people fishing, which was fun for all of the sketchers. This next painting is the piece I demoed for the group. I was disappointed in it because it was tight, and the colors clashed, possibly a reflection of some nervousness on my part.
Fortunately, a lanky young man in a hoodie came along and fished near me, and I enjoyed sketching him.
And the day did warm up, as California days do, and I was able to capture some of that warmth in this sketch of three fisher people from across the lake.
Deliberate Sketching 
Especially taken with the composition of Along the Shore
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Thank you, I like it too!
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Your paintings are delightful. Do you work exclusively in gouache or do you use regular watercolor paints also?
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Hi Laura, I pretty much use gouache. I mostly use tinted or black watercolor and watercolor would be washed out those darker surfaces. Thank you for liking my work!
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Love these, I have been adding gouache back into my mix. I spent years think for some foolish reason you had to be a purist, all watercolor or all gouache, I know its not bright but it’s me. Visiting Van Gogh parts of France this year I found he used whatever he wanted, so if it’s good enough for him, then it is for me. I am studying these for ideas, thanks.
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Thank you Terry. I agree about using both mediums as you like, people who do often get terrific results.
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Yes for sure. I do a lot of acrylic on canvas, so working with gouache for sketching has a similar feel.
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Such great use of colours. Your painting really cheer me up!
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