Painting

Art Hero: Geraldine Girvan

Watercolour and gouache painting by Geraldine Girvan
Studio Mirror by Geraldine Girvan

My big new art crush in Geraldine Girvan. So far, I’ve only seen her work in reproductions, but I aim to seek some actual works out to gawp at soon.

I love her use of bodycolour/gouache.  In the (slightly fascist) world of watercolour painting, bodycolour (aka gouache) is a bad cousin. Most watercolourists wax lyrical about the transparent properties of unadulterated watercolour. Although many do use a little Chinese white, it is not considered “pure”. However, some colours don’t read to me as transparent. I love the chalkiness of gouache, and its richness.

I find it difficult to manage an entire painting in gouache. It doesn’t seem to like being overpainted. And I like layering. I’m looking forward to the workshop “Experimenting with Gouache” that I am taking at the RWS early next month. It is taught by Wendy Jacob.

Gouache painting by Wendy Jacob
Gouache painting by Wendy Jacob

Many of my paintings include white gouache but I look forward to extending my use of gouache further. I’ll show and tell when I have something I’m not too ashamed of.

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