Blue Lake Recap
Hello friends!
A few weeks ago, I traded the comfort of my studio for the wild beauty of Idaho’s high mountains for a week of plein air exploration. With gouache paints, a backpack full of gear, and two of our kids in tow plus a well trusted babysitter, what I discovered — about the landscape, the medium, and myself — was worth every step!
This journey had been on my heart for some time — not only to immerse myself fully in the beauty of the high mountain landscape, but also to push my skills with gouache in a true plein air setting.
Blue Lake is a hidden gem tucked down a 1 mile steep trail. Mountain wildflowers give way to rugged rocks and stately alpine trees, all leading to the glassy waters of a Blue Lake. I hiked in with my gear on my back, eager to test my gouache setup outside the studio. While I’ve long loved gouache for its immediacy indoors, I wasn’t sure how I’d respond to its quick-drying nature in the open air — or whether I could adapt to the way values tend to dry darker.
Hiking in to Blue Lake
I’m thrilled to say the experiment was a huge success! Gouache proved to be a wonderful companion for backpacking. My load wasn’t exactly light (a tripod, easel, water container, and extra water still add up!), but the benefits far outweighed the effort.
The quick-dry quality meant I could store all my finished works neatly in a single sketchbook — no bulky, wet oil panels to carry home and although the paint did dry very quickly, a small and simple squirt bottle worked well to activate not only the gouache palette, but my paper as well.
This trip reminded me that plein air painting isn’t always easy, but stepping into new territory — both in subject and in medium — can open the door to fresh discoveries.
That sense of exploration and growth is one of the most exhilarating parts of being an artist, and Blue Lake offered it in abundance.
Check out the following video to see my full gouache set up and supplies list:
Upcoming Shows & Events
The Jackson Hole Fall Arts Festival starts in a couple of weeks, coming up from September 4th-15th!
This will be my 5th year participating in the Saturday QuickDraw on September 13th from 8am-1pm.
The Jackson Hole QuickDraw is a live art event that captures the creative spirit of the West, all unfolding in real-time on the Jackson Town Square. We have just 90 minutes to bring our visions to life. Learn more here!
I’ll also be at the Wilcox Gallery in Jackson Thursday, September 11th to Saturday the 13th. Come by and say “Hi” - I would love to see you!
A previous QuickDraw at the Jackson Hole Fall Arts Festival
Online Gouache Course Waitlist!
I’ve started filming for my Online Gouache Course and I’m so excited to share this with you soon! More information to come. If you’re interested in the course and learning more about gouache, please sign up for the waitlist to be the first to know all the details, and/or to be part of my Beta Testing group!
I hope you enjoy this time of year as summer winds down! I’m looking forward to a foliage-filled fall season with plenty of painting and course filming time.
Thank you for joining me on this journey.
Cheers!
Allie
I hope my work offers you and your home beauty in the way that fine art enriches, deepens, and expands any environment.