Daily Dolan Geiman: January 03, 2008

Gouache Paradise: The Work of Carrie MarillSo I decided to start doing a little blog series on artists and their command of a particular medium or material. What better way to start than with the ever perplexing Gouache. Pronounced 'Gwash', this opaque watercolor is a favorite of screen-printers turned painters, or vice versa, due to its flatness and opacity, much like silkscreen ink. Painters who demand the vibrancy of watercolors but who value the thick hues and opacity of acrylic paint find this to be their happy medium, no pun intended. After years of using this pasty little tube of paint, I have developed a fondness, much as one develops a fondness for toads. The type of fondness that says, "I like you, just as long as I don't have to deal with you on a daily basis."What I am trying to say is that i have yet to master the use of gouache. Yes, I admit it. But that's fine, because I have found the true master of the medium and in the world of gouache she is Queen.I am speaking of Carrie Marill, whose floral and faunal subjects are quite dear to my heart, and whose approach to the medium is like a ballet: crisp and beautifully gentle on the eyes, but well practiced and backed by artistic muscle. Her beguiling sense of space and her dexterous use of the brush allow her to create little D&uum;lrer-esque worlds on paper. Check out these pieces and be prepared to be awed."