Tag Archives: #pricklypear

30 Days of Gouache – What I Learned (Fun, Frustration & Growth)

February was fun! How can it not be, when you have fresh art supplies? Who can resist, right? For my birthday I treated myself to 2 new watercolor papers. A 5 x 7 block of Meeden hot press. And a stack of inexpensive 8 x 8 sheets. 100 sheets for $20! I also bit the bullet and ordered the Arteza set of 60 gouache box. Thankfully, it was on sale.

I thoroughly enjoyed my gouache tour. YouTube introduced me to amazing artists and I have stashed their insights in my brain. I have a lengthy gouache playlist to revisit as well.

Days 24, 25, & 26. 4 x 4 inch gouache on Arches cold press paper 140 lb., 4 x 4 in. More magenta mayhem. I intensified the color slightly. My muted mood in the first part of the series was replaced with some flash. I was having fun, playing with pattern, shapes and mark making.

Days 24 - 30 of the February 2026 Creative Gathering. © 2026 Sheila Delgado. — Days 24 – 30 of the February 2026 Creative Gathering. © 2026 Sheila Delgado.

Day 27 & 28, 5 x 7 inches. Cool blues. A bubble bath, according to Sea, Eileen and Teresa. The second reminded Diane of stained glass, and Eileen thought of a kaleidoscope. I love those descriptions.
Thanks, friends! Both are watercolor on Leyton pure cotton watercolor cold press paper 160 lb., 5 x 7 in.

Day 29, 5 x 7 inch. Golden tree, gouache on Leyton 160 lb. paper. I’ve had this idea in my head. I want to paint it large. Our neighbors across the street have a tree in their backyard. It turns gold each afternoon in the setting sun. It’s like someone turned on a bright light. Mingus turns dark blue.
I can only see the top half of the tree, I used artistic license for the rest. The dead leaves hang down in long spikes.

Day 30, Prickly Pear, 5 x 7 inch. Gouache on Leyton pure cotton watercolor cold press paper 160 lb. This was a late night, quick-as-I-can piece. I used leftover paint (there is still more on the palette). Christine Brooks gifted me the Layton block. I really love this heavier paper! It is easy to remove and it didn’t warp. It held up to multiple layers and areas of heavy paint.

The patterned pieces are mixed media. Some details were added digitally. On the cactus, the needles are digital. I really need to make a collection, and save them for future projects. LOL. Below are a few close-ups, to better see the details.

Details Days 24 - 30 — Details Days 24 – 30

Gouache is very versatile. I used several different papers, and it was wonderful on each of them. Arches, Leyton, Meeden. The less expensive performed just as well as the Arches. For the purpose of practice. And the Arteza paint seems to last. Many artists online mentioned that it takes more paint then watercolor. But I found that a small dab on the palette was enough for more than one piece.

It is true, that you use a lot of white. White adds opacity to lighter, more transparent hues. The colors mix well. They are nice and creamy when you get the water ratio right.

Tomorrow I will share the collage of all 30 pieces with you. And talk more about what I have learned. The group gallery video will be up in a few days.

Thanks so much for tracking my journey with gouache this month. I really do appreciate your suggestions and observations. So often during the daily challenge, I get caught up in just getting it done. Tunnel vision kicks in, and I forget to take time to consider other options.

Happy Monday!
Happy March!

March already?

The February 2026 Creative Gathering, Days 20 Through 23.

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Days 20 - 23 of the February 2026 Creative Gathering. © 2026 Sheila Delgado. — Days 20 – 23 of the February 2026 Creative Gathering. © 2026 Sheila Delgado.

Day 20. Prickly Pear. Gouache, 8 x 8 in. The prickly pear pads can be all shades of green, yellow green, gray, silver, sage. Just not usually all on the same plant. 😆

Day 21. Gouache & mixed media on Arches 140 lb. Cold Press Paper. 4 x 4 in. S.M. Delgado. My scanner is still blurring parts of the image. (The top image, left side.)
Don’t worry, it is not your eyes. 🤓
For this series, my main goal was to catch up, and get ahead. Six small pieces sounded like a plan. I chose a limited palette and started with large blocks of color. Dots and marks in a contrasting color were added next. In Photoshop I layered leaves, patterns and music for more interest.

Day 22. Gouache on Arches Cold Press Paper 140 lb. 4 x 4 in. Repetition as composition.

Day 23. Gouache on Arches Cold Press Paper 140 lb. 4 x 4 in. By this time, I was starting to question my color choices. It felt like something was missing. 🤔 What do you think?

I received suggestions in the gathering group, and in my next post you will see the results.
Stay tuned!

The February gathering is a 30-day event, despite the month not having 30 days. And the group gallery video is coming around the mountain! Our time to celebrate the fabulous art the members have brought to life!

See you soon!
Have an awesome weekend!

Week Two Of The February 2026 Creative Gathering

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I’ve had a hard time keeping up this week. Whoosh! That’s the sound of the days flying by. I’m in a stellar group who are also posting late at night.

From the bottom: Day six was the WIP for day 7, the yellow Palo Verde tree. That is an 8 x 8 inches. Day 8. Saguaro in the sun, 8 x 8. I had fun with this one.

Day 9. Thumb Butte. Gouache on Meeden pure cotton Watercolor Paper 140 lb. 5 x 7 in.

Day 10, 5 x 7 in. Succulent Garden. Prickly Pear, Cholla (forks), Ric Rac, Agave. Gouache & mixed media. I created the spines digitally. The spines on the Cholla are actually small stars. The agave was made digitally and the sun is something I have used before. Here I added some smudging to soften the details.

Day 11. Mingus Mountain. Gouache, 5 x 7 in. It was a cloudy gray day. I added a little color. A gouache fact. Light colors dry darker, darks dry lighter. It will take time and practice to know better what the results will be. For example, the front range here is much darker than I intended.

Day 12. Pine Trees. Gouache, mixed media 5 x 7 in. I had limited time, but I managed to get this out earlier in the day. (Not at Midnight. LOL) 😂 I painted the blended background on the Meeden block. I then painted ten practice trees. They were all horrible. In the tutorial I watched, she used a filbert brush. I only have two really old, small filberts. My tree looks nothing like her perfect sample. I am surprised and pleased with how mine turned out. The slightly separating brush, gave me tiny details that mimic pine needles. Fun! (Visit my Instagram profile to see better.)

I painted one tree, on a blank paper. I didn’t want to ruin the background. And I was trying to save time. In Photoshop I duplicated the tree, and flipped it horizontally. I then erased select areas to create a different silhouette.

I ordered a new palette. The long one. It fits my space perfectly. I thought I wouldn’t need the others as much. But I use them all. 😆 I continue to be amazed at how far the paint goes. If there is a unified look to the pieces, it is from using the leftovers.

Thanks so much for clicking, reading and viewing my gouache practice!
So nice to have your company!
Happy, awesome weekend to you!