Late spring and into summer this gem finds its way into new parts of my yard. While some may consider it a weed, it’s so easy remove if needed I tend to let it wander without worry. It tends to show up in a corner of the garden that’s not been planted and within a couple of months fill out nicely as a ground cover. The little blossoms are a treat candied on ice cream and cakes, or tossed into a salad with the greens. It first caught my eye around 2012 and I was captivated by the intense blue hue (so rare to find in nature) of the delicate petals. That same intense blue is what also made this particular plants elusive to capture.
Day Flower and all the other Backyard Botanicals are a continuation of the Backyard Ecology Series which gave birth to the Junk Mail Migration birds and the Library of Backyard Ecology.
These en plein air field studies in natural ink and gouache capture the vitality and beauty of even the humblest plant. Visit the online gallery to see originals and prints available. Native, naturalized, and invasive plants are all captured equally as they appear in my yard throughout the seasons.
Originally I thought Day Flowers only showed up in spring. True there are many more in May, but it seems to bloom nearly all summer long. This picture is of another one I just found this morning while weeding my front garden (I left it to continue it’s lifecycle in the cracks between my porch and driveway).
Like all the other works in this series, when you purchase a print of Day Flower, you will be supporting my art practice AND our local conservation organizations. These three organizations create and maintain our few remaining tracks of prairies and woodlands here in Iowa — such important work. They also bank native seeds/plant specimens and dedicate themselves to converting roadside land to prairie plantings. Helping erosion, water quality, migration of birds, habitat for toads… so good.
After a bit of time color correcting and testing papers, I’m debuting the 13 x 19″ size print (pictured above) as well as the smaller 5 x 7″ print with the publishing of this post. They make a great gift and are ready to put into any frame. There is enough white space that you can mat it for framing too. Which makes for a great statement piece on your wall.
So sure about its identity as red sorrel, I even wrote it on the original in pen as the title. Then I looked it up and well, it just wasn’t. So if not red sorrel then what? This one really had me stumped and launched a discussion about identifying volunteer plants in the yard, I asked the instagram world if they had any ideas and one long time friend took it as a personal quest to find the answer. And answer they did.
Bloody Dock and all the other Backyard Botanicals are a continuation of the Backyard Ecology Series which gave birth to the Junk Mail Migration birds and the Library of Backyard Ecology.
These en plein air field studies in natural ink and gouache capture the vitality and beauty of even the humblest plant. Visit the online gallery to see originals and prints available. Native, naturalized, and invasive plants are all captured equally as they appear in my yard throughout the seasons.
A view from my porch and slightly angled down, I drew and then painted this one starting on a cold rainy morning bundled in a blanket to keep myself warm. I couldn’t believe it was in the 40’s and 50’s. The mist made the leaves particularly vivid and rich in tone. I ended the following week with sunny weather and mid 70’s. I do love May.
Bloody Dock, mid August 2021
Further along in its growth cycle now, this plant continues to intrigue. Look at these great textures, and ALL these seeds. I’m going to collect them and see if I can get several of these lovely plants going.
Supporting Plant Conservation
Like all the other works in this series, when you purchase a print of Bloody Dock, you will be support an artist AND our local conservation organizations. These three organizations create and maintain our few remaining tracks of prairies and woodlands. They also bank native seeds/plant specimens and dedicate themselves to converting roadside land to prairie plantings. Helping erosion, water quality, migration of birds, habitat for toads… so good.
After a bit of time color correcting and testing papers, I’m debuting the 13 x 19″ size print (pictured above) as well as the smaller 5 x 7″ print with the publishing of this post. They make a great gift and are ready to put into any frame. There is enough white space that you can mat it for framing too. Which makes for a great statement piece on your wall.
Evening light, Gouache, Walnut Ink Frame: Fallen Iowa Walnut, hand-crafted by the artist $625 framed, $375 unframed
Bloody Dock, 2021 5.5 X 8.5″
Morning light, Gouache, Walnut Ink Frame: Fallen Iowa Walnut, hand-crafted by the artist $625 framed, $375 unframed
Tart Cherry – Unripe, 2021, 5.5 X 8.5″
Morning light, Gouache, Walnut Ink Frame: Fallen Iowa Walnut, hand-crafted by the artist $625 framed, $375 unframed
Wood Sorrel, 2021 5.5 X 8.5″
Morning light, Gouache, Walnut Ink Frame: Fallen Iowa Walnut, hand-crafted by the artist $625 framed, $375 unframed
Day Flowers, 2021 8 X 6″
Morning light, Gouache, Walnut Ink Frame: Fallen Iowa Walnut, hand-crafted by the artist $625 framed, $375 unframed
Common Mallow, 2021 6 X 8″
Morning light, Gouache, Walnut Ink Frame: Fallen Iowa Walnut, hand-crafted by the artist $675 framed, $475 unframed
Waterleaf, 2021 5.5 X 8.5″
Morning light, Gouache, Walnut Ink Frame: Fallen Iowa Walnut, hand-crafted by the artist $625 framed, $375 unframed
Mock Strawberries, 2021 8 X 6″
Morning light, Gouache, Walnut Ink Frame: Fallen Iowa Walnut, hand-crafted by the artist $625 framed, $375 unframed
Dame’s Rocket, 2021 5.5 X 8.5″
Evening light, Gouache, Walnut Ink Frame: Fallen Iowa Walnut, hand-crafted by the artist $625 framed, $375 unframed
Solomon’s Seal, 2021 5.5 X 8.5″
Morning light, Gouache, Walnut Ink Frame: Fallen Iowa Walnut, hand-crafted by the artist SOLD
Explore each plant in the series to learn more about what you might find in your own backyard, see process images, and more.
These works are a continuation of the Backyard Ecology Series which gave birth to the Junk Mail Migration birds and the Library of Backyard Ecology. These plein air field studies in natural ink and gouache capture the vitality and beauty of even the humblest plant. Native, naturalized, and invasive plants are all captured equally as they appear in my yard throughout the seasons.
Plein Air Gouache Painting Workshop | Ames, IA | Sept 11, 2021
Join me for a relaxing afternoon of outdoor painting with Gouache. Learn, grow, and discover painting on-site with this intuitive quick-drying media. Workshop made possible in partnership with the Octagon Center for the Arts.
More than in my studio, painting outdoors is my place of pure flow. The connection with nature and my inner creativity deepens with each mark.
Kristin M Roach
Solutions to the unique challenges of painting outdoors with Gouache
Painting outside comes with its own set of skills, tools, and tricks to master; especially if you are new to painting with gouache (opaque watercolor). Scroll down for the list of what’s in my kit I paint with nearly every day.
What to pack in your bag without carrying your studio?
What if you run out of time or the light changes?
What about bugs? And the sun? And the wind? Or if it’s raining? Wait – you still draw outside even in the rain?
All these questions and more will be answered in this afternoon long workshop. We’ll start in the studio covering the basics of gouache and prepping our kits, then move to an outdoor location based on participant interest (nature or architecture). We’ll end with a review of our work (you only have to share if you would like to) and a final group Q&A. I’ll go around and make sure to chat with each student so everyone gets feedback while painting on-site.
A relaxing afternoon of outdoor Gouache Painting >> Sign Up Today<<
Workshop Details
Date: Saturday, September 11th, 2021
Time: 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM CDT
Meet at: Octagon Center for the Arts, 427 Douglas Avenue, Ames, IA
Painting Site: Downtown Ames OR Bandshell Park
Class Limit: 12 Participants, 12 years and older please.
Cost: $80 + Materials (some provided, see below for details)
Class Description: Explore painting outdoors with gouache! Learn about the best practices for building your plein air painting kit, working on site, and documenting your subject to finish later in the studio. Instructor Kristin M Roach is an interdisciplinary artist and studied oil painting and art history at Northern Illinois University and specializes in plein air gouache.
10 Essential Plein Air Gouache Materials
This was difficult for me to put together, mostly because it will vary depending on your preference and style. Clicking through these affiliate link to purchase your supplies is an easy way you can support my arts career even if you don’t live in Ames and cannot attend the workshop. This is basically a list of my favorite gouache art supplies.
1. Watercolor Pad
Ideally no bigger than 9 X 12″, no smaller than 6 X 6″ — think about what will fit your YOUR bag and stay steady on your lap or a picnic table. Also, much bigger and you’ll need to stretch it to prevent it from warping so not ideal for outdoor use.
Things to consider when picking your watercolor paper for gouache field painting:
Tooth (go more smooth than rough)
Weight (heavier the better, 140lb is ideal for outside painting)
Type of pad – I like to tear out every sheet as I go (fold over and tape bound), others like to keep it all bound in a book (spiral and journal style).
2. Quality Paints
Purchase the highest quality you can afford, keep in mind, you may not love gouache. Start with a midrange and work your way up to the good stuff. What makes it good? The binders used, the amount of pigment, and the light-fastness rating.
I’m loving Holbein Artists’ Gouache for getting started. They have this great set over on Dick Blick (free shipping on orders over $45) that has your primaries + black and white. If you’d like to expand beyond that, I would recommend adding: Burnt Umber, Yellow Ochre, Cadmium Red, and Viridian Green.
I could go on… but from there, it really depends on your style — do you like drawing plants or architecture? Trees or sand dunes? You’ll find what colors you are craving. Since I tend to paint plants… a lot of plants. I rounded out my pallet with all the greens and yellows, rose pink, and Lucy added HOT pink to my pallet too. Because Mom, PINK! I’m not sure if I’ll ever find a flower that vibrant, but if I do…. Okay digressing.
This one specifically. I’ve tried many and hands down this has made working with gouache outside (or in general) a million times less annoying and wasteful.
Waxed canvas to sit on or to put my supplies on if my surface is slatted/uneven – I also roll my brushes into it at the end of the day.
Sunhat (keeps the sun out of my eyes and off my neck without changing the color/tone of my surroundings (sunglasses)
Snacks! (I get crabby, quick, if I’m hungry)
And that is the thing, these are the things I carry in my bag every day. But your kit might include a ruler, maybe a water color set instead of gouache, or maybe markers or color pencils.
What about a chair? I personally sit on whatever is around (park bench, grass, a bolder, tree stump), but that’s me. A light weight folding beach chair, stool, or whatever is going to help you feel comfortable while painting.
I start almost every drawing with pencil, then walnut ink, then gouache. Depending on your preferences, it can vary quite a bit.
Yellow-bellied flycatchers are elusive little birds and commonly confused with others in the flycatcher family. I’ve only seen one once and it was purely by accident and pure joy! Thankfully, it is not because they are endangered, they are just shy and like to stay hidden in evergreen trees foraging on insects.
Let me tell you a little bit about this bird and share some resources that will increase your chances of seeing them in your area and how you can help them continue to thrive.
I painted this sweet little bird that sings a rising whistled tu-wee in 2013. It wasn’t until 8 years LATER I finally had a glimpse in person and heard its song with my own ears. I was hiking in the woods with a friend, glanced up and on the edge of the prairie, flitting in the some evergreen & berry trees was a flash of yellow-green. (Peggy’s Trail, Ames, Iowa; September 2020). As it turns out, in Iowa, you are most likely to see them in May and September.
“Yellow-bellied Flycatcher singing on territory in northern Maine in June.”
One of the most challenging parts of this series is the difficulty in finding what birds will be flying through my area. I’ve found a few general ideas via local Audubon Society Chapters and here in Iowa we also have the Iowa Ornithology Union. eBird has extensive sighting data, but it’s stripped of it’s dates and locations to keep the birds safe from poaching.
When I originally envisioned this series, I imagined I’d give you all the secrets to finding and seeing these birds. The more I looked into it though, the more I realized that they should stay protected and the data should stay hidden.
The story I read in the early days of discovering the yellow-bellied flycatcher is a sadly common one and why the Migratory Bird Treaty Act exists. Here, I’ll read you an excerpt: “Charles Johnson Maynard reported shooting one on May 31, 1869, and then eight more the next day (Studer 1876), and from then on the species became known as a rare to uncommon migrant in the state (MassAudubon).” That single sentence speaks so much to the plight of migratory song birds. I mean seriously. You shoot 9 and then, well yeah. They become less common.
I agree that specific bird habitats should remain elusive. So instead of sharing secrets, I will help you determine if you are likely to find it in your area; and if you are, how to identify it.
First, look at the migration map above, does its general range include your locale?
Second, visit ebird and you can narrow sightings down to your county.
Third, do a little networking and connect with your local Audubon society and see if they have a watch list like the Iowa City group does. It’s a general breakdown of what kind of bird types you are likely to see which months.
How to identify Birds in General
A few things I’ve found helpful as a very beginning birder is to try and remember:
Size (bigger or larger than a bird you do know like a cardinal, sparrow or red-tail hawk)
Bill shape
Markings around the eye
Crest or other distinguishing features like it has a purple breast.
While names are not important for enjoyment of birding, there is a certain thill in putting a name to a bird. For me, naming helps to solidify the memory and experience of seeing and hearing it. Of course photographing, drawing, and painting help too.
How the Junk Mail Migration Series helps the Yellow-bellied Flycatcher Thrive
When you add Yellow-bellied Flycatcher to your home and you are helping to support song bird conservation in the Boreal Forest. Whenever I sell work from the Junk Mail Migration Series, 10% will be donated to the Boreal Songbird Initiative. Limited Edition Prints are now available. The original has found a good home and is no longer in my care.
What is the Boreal Songbird Initiative? Their work is the spark that inspired this ongoing series of paintings (Read about how and why I started painting migratory birds on junk mail). In their own words, “As the voice for boreal birds, the Boreal Songbird Initiative (BSI) is committed to protecting the Canadian Boreal Forest—the largest intact forest on Earth—on behalf of the billions of migratory birds that rely on it.” — Boreal Songbird Initiative
Last summer, in the midst of the shut down I received the Iowa Arts Council Individual Artist Project Grant and was able to distribute $4800 directly to twelve local artist through a curated series of shop front window exhibits in Downtown Ames, Iowa. The project brought a spark of hope and cultural interest during a dark, isolating time. Here’s the back story that inspired my grant application.
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While I set out in 2020 with this grand idea/personal challenge of applying for a grant, I never thought it would be to host a series of exhibits during a pandemic. Really, in my mind, it was going to fund the next phase of my migratory bird series which involves traveling around Iowa for a year. Guess who isn’t traveling? Art practice goal achievement unlocked — just not in the way I originally intended.
Special thanks to this stellar organization that directly supports artists making art in Iowa. Support provided by the Iowa Arts Council, a division of the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs.
Last Spring changed everything. And we realized this “pandemic thing” was going to be here for an unknown time. As a business owner, every day was different. “Uncertainty” did not even come close to describing how I was feeling. And as I made the choice to close my shop, others were doing the same. Closed. Closed. Closed. Closed due to Covid. Closed due to exposure. Closed for unknown duration. Closed. And the worst. For Rent.
And each day coming to work I saw people walking by. With no where to land, our community was out for a stroll finally embracing its walkability. And I wanted to create an experience for them. Something to look forward to instead of just closed signs.
As an artist, I had mapped out my year — art walk, exhibits, public speaking, grants, new work, studio tour, collaborative projects, maybe even a residency — evaporated over night. I knew it was a hard road ahead for all of us. The lack of a festival season, or exhibits and residencies, damages an artist’s ability to make an income. And unlike my tea business (I applied for and received a PPP loan to pay my employees and the Iowa Economic Disaster Relief Grant to stabilize our supply chain), there was no assistance for my art business.
As a business community we had to cancel or pushback our summer schedule of events for the safety of our community. And many of our businesses were closed for 2-4 months. Little Woods was closed to walk in traffic from mid March to mid July. On Mainstreet, during the summer, we are used to the students being gone, but tourism is high. Not so much this year.
As we reopened for business, in the forefront of all our minds was how can we safely bring people downtown? As we stayed closed, how can we show our support for our community and not just be a vacant space, another shuttered window? Without museums, art centers, galleries, and festivals how could create a sustainable art practice?
I had already set up an artist for Art Walk, so when it was cancelled I asked him if he would want to do an exhibit in my shop window. When I told my neighboring business owners, they said they wanted to do the same if I could find artists for them. When I told my art friends, they said they would help me put it out to the community and apply for a grant so artist would be supported even if the community couldn’t purchase work directly (though many did).
We had work that ranged all media, methods, and artists of all types and backgrounds. It brought hundreds of people downtown in a nice slow summer long trickle.
We heard all kinds of feedback, the best of which was that this was the first artwork they had seen in person in months and the simple act of viewing had a profound effect on them. There may have been tears of joy.
Special thanks to the Iowa Arts Council who made this exhibit series possible. To the stores who hosted work. And to the artists who shared their work with our community.
Visit Ames C.art project page to see an overview of the project, artists’ work installed and donation links for each artist.
A final thought before I close this project out for the time being. As we enter our second year of COVID related closures, diminished capacity and tourism, how can we continue to support local artists and each other?
As a Business Owner/Purchaser/Designer
Find local artist that resonated with your brand to sell on consignment.
Host an exhibit for them in your store front.
Buy artists work wholesale – think the cards you sell by the cash register, there are many artists who could supply those for you. Etsy is a great place to find talent if you don’t know where to start.
Buy prints and originals from artists to decorate/enhance your space.
As an Individual
Like, Follow, and Share them on Social Media
Use their contact form to send them an email saying what you like about their work – a virtual high five.
Send a text message to a bestie sharing an artist’s work who you know they will love.
Take it a step further and buy work from artists as a way to let your friends/family know you care for them – getting art work as a gift if the ultimate “I love you” from afar. A perfect mail art gift isa zine! (Just saying!)
Be indulgent and spruce up your own place with a beautiful print or original – you can get these from artists in a vast price range from $ to $$$$$. You have been spending a lot of time at home and not vacationing. Just getthat print ororiginal from that artist you’ve been loving on.
As we stay distanced, studio work, which is by its nature isolating; can feel all the more so during this time. A kind note really can make all the difference to someone who is feeling alone with their canvas.
Many years ago I became a little obsessed with junk mail.
Where did it come from?
Why was it in my mail box?
How can I use it to make art so I don’t have to spend so much money on new paper for art class?
Seriously. After an intense semester at Northern Illinois University I hit break and looked at the wreck that was my apartment for the first time in over a month. During the clean up and clean out I realized that in a month of not throwing away mail I had a literal garbage bag full of junk mail. And at the same time I was struggling to afford the art supplies needed to complete assignments for school.
It felt maddening. I couldn’t afford paper and yet… here was a rich untapped resource. So I started with what, where, why, how and became lovingly entranced with it’s path from trees to my door.
Over the next semester I conducted junk mail experiments. It’s a tricky substance to work with. I never did really puzzle it out while in school. But it set the foundations for works to come.
Several years later I decided to go all in. I collected my junk mail for a year (pictured above). Which lead to more experiments and the final forms of the work – a series of paintings about migratory birds in Iowa whose habitat is being made into junk mail.
my first junk mail migration painting
The series focuses on 37 migratory birds and each bird, in addition to the studies of the physical birds, I also collect data on migration patterns, sightings, history, and even bird calls. I’ve always wanted to share that side of the work, so here on this blog I’ll do just that.
Until Next Time
Kristin M Roach
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