Painting is a miraculous process. The fact that you can take colored goo and create almost anything is pretty astonishing. I’ve found that each medium has its own language. Gouache is totally different from oil or watercolor. I painted in oil and acrylic while in college, and at the time appreciated their qualities. Later, as my concern for all things ecology grew, I avoided acrylic. Oils, while not 100% eco-friendly, elements have been redesigned in an effort to reduce the toxicity – for example in its solvents.
An old friend of mine gave me a watercolor kit at some point when I was traveling and I found it an easy way to practice while on the road. Gouache became a favorite for the same reasons which I opted for after studying Tibetan thanka painting. I took up oils after a very long hiatus and have fallen in love with them again. The versatility and mystery of it are just unmatched. Whether used as glazes, impasto or something in between, this stuff is just really a gift from the gods. These days I’m also using a combination of collage and oils, and still use gouache as I love the way it behaves, particularly on paper and stone.
