…rather back story of how this photo inspired me to create a Gouache painting. This is a photo of a dear friend, an award winning poet, who in my opinion should be a Poet Laureate. Unassuming, in fact napping, was the best time to capture her gentleness. She has been writing and rewriting poetry for many decades. Her basic go-to subject is nature. It used to be her passion to only write about this peaceful topic. Then the alarming changes impacted her writing. Now, all the hot button issues have transformed her and her computer typed words. Often, they are made public as Letters to the Editor.

Details about my image. The substrate (surface) I decided to use is a bright yellow Mulberry paper. It reminds me of her brilliance. The media is Gouache that has been thinned to the consistency of ink. My strokes are drawn with a paint brush that may have about 13 hairs. No, I’ve never counted. Changing the style of chair to a more antique one, references the many decades she has been offering her timeless thoughts. I used spackle for the white area because I wanted a different texture than that of the paper. There is a sense of Claire, yes my friend’s name, seeking sanctuary in the corner of the oversized chair. She’s forthright yet the bolster pillow I’ve added, suggests her need to be lifted, to continue speaking about the life that has evolved around all of us!

This image, in fact any image on my site is available as a print or notecard. Please contact me either by email tomyegouache@sonic.net or text (510) 823-9150.