My Introduction To Gouache

I didn't want to bring all of my oil painting supplies.

My son and I were going on a backpacking trip to the Wind River Mountains in Wyoming USA. I had been wanting to visit this spectacular place since I was a teen. I had to capture some of this experience in paint. Packing light was essential so I decided to try gouache. I packed a small watercolor pad, six colors of qouache and a few small brushes.

We hiked to a small lake to try the fishing there. I settled under a small pine tree and discovered that I had forgotten my watercolor pad back at basecamp. What could I do?

I have always believed that even a few accurate color notes can provide enough information to help you remember your impressions of a scene. So, I found a business card in my wallet and decided to paint on the back.