Contact
Please feel free to contact me by email at ralphparkerstudio@yahoo.com if you have questions regarding my work. Purchase of paintings can be done through PayPal by emailing me of your interest.
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Ralph Parker, Artist 
Thanks very much for your site. I have been looking for Gouache info for over a year now off and on and it is very unknown as you say . Like your darker style in color than most gouache artist I see. Tried to take it with my oil / watercolor artist but all she did was set in on teaching me her first love ,watercolor which I don’t care that much about. I will look up the others you recommend .Thanks again.
I read your information on Gouache and you mentioned seeing some amazing results some artists get. I recomend looking at Carl Brenders, the famous wildlife artist. He works in gouache and it’s totally amazing what he does and the realism he gets. You info was very helpful and what I needed to know. Thank you.
Hi Ralph do by any chance have a sister Mary Frances?
Hi Nona… nope. No sister.
Ralph
Have not seen your works on WetCanvas for quite some time. Is everything o.k. Miss your work there.
I was at Wildacres Retreat last week for a Ringling school of Art plein air workshop. One of the artists started painting at the age of 75, haing signed uo for a 5 year program in Atlanta, not knowing if he would live long enough to complete it. He is now 87 and quite vigorous. So I see no problem “Planning” at 67 years old. I am also 67, and learning. See some of my stuff at h20color.deviantart.com and click on “gallery”.
Do you know of a good dealer for Art Board for use with gouache ?
Need larger sizes like 48 x 72 etc.
Thanks
Scott, I responded with an email.
Love your work, Ralph..Would like a print of your “Dining Alone” if you have any.I studied under Craig.Ya’LL are both great. mistyped name….Smokey
Smokey, I’m afraid I’m only selling originals these days, so there are no prints available. I really do appreciate your kind comments though. I’m glad you like the work. Thanks!
Hello Ralph,
I am also a gouache artist working mostly in landscapes. I really enjoy your site and your information. If you have some time I would appreciate some feedback on some of the work I am doing. you can find it at http://robertduvall.artistwebsites.com/index.html
Thanks again, Robert
Hi Robert,
Thanks for the kind comments, and your interest in my feedback. Unfortunately, I’m having a few online speed issues currently, but I do want to take at look at your work when I get things working better.
Hello Mr. Parker
I’ve recently come incontact with one of your paintings “before the rain”. can you tell me about this painting, I can not find any information on this particular painting.
Thank you very much. Doris Woodson.
Doris, the title isn’t triggering my memory. Could you tell me a little about the painting, and where you saw it? Did you see the original or an image of it?
Dear Ralph,
Thank you so much for giving so much of your time to teach and blog about Gouache. It is so hard to find good demonstrations in this medium. Your paintings are amazing with such depth of color. I recently found your website and am savoring all your past posts. I love your “mobile” studio and hope to travel and paint like you some day soon.
Your demos are much appreciated for an amateur like me. However, I was saddened by your statement “Watching me paint a sky in real time would be really boring, I think.” because I cannot think of something I would rather do. I love your skies and truly wish I could come anywhere near creating such beautiful ones. Would you consider doing a demo on painting skies? It would be much appreciated by someone like me who loves point B, but can’t determine how to get there from Point A!
Again, thank you for such beautiful art and a really great website and blog. I will be following you poised for great new travels and paintings and hopefully a few more demos!
Happy Trails,
Pamela Jo
Pamela, I really thought I responded to your comments, but apparently I didn’t. I apologize for the oversight. I do appreciate your comments, and I’ll try to do a few more step-by-step posts. Thanks!
Ralph, I just found your site because I am trying to use the many watercolor canvases I bought, and regular watercolor paint is not thick enough for the canvas, it will not penetrate it well. I have never used gouache, but am very interested now that I have this challenge. I love the idea of texture and that it is used with water. I have tried to find information, but can’t about watercolor canvas and gouache. Can you help?
Martina, I’ve never used watercolor canvas. I believe there are a couple of watercolorists who drop in to the blog here occasionally, and maybe one of them can provide an answer. You might also visit http://www.wetcanvas.com. There is a forum in the Watercolor or Watermedia section where some folks do a lot of experimenting. Thanks!
I really enjoy reading about your travels and experiences in the field of art. You have and envious life and I hope to emulate it in about 4 more years. Really like the “Picken” piece in addition to many others.Please continue to update your travels and experience daily so that I can live vicariously through your dream!
Edward, it’s notes like yours that give me the validation and encouragement to keep doing this. Thanks a lot!
Mr. Parker, I am currently working with oils but wish to change over to gouache but before I do I need to investigate some before I spend. I find only a few choices as far as brand names. I want the best for my money and I like the results you get . Which brand would you recommend for a novice to buy? Thank you much
Larry McGrew
Larry, I use DaVinci Gouache. I buy it online through Cheap Joe’s Art Stuff. If for no other reason, I’d recommend it because it comes in larger tubes for almost the same price as all the others in smaller tubes. I’ve been totally happy with the results. Thanks!
I am so glad I came across your blog. For some inexplicable reason, gouache has been unpopular amongst artists in Australia, but after seeing your work and reading your experiences on the medium, I now feel that it is an easy one to fall in love with. I suspect that in very hot climates a drop of Glycerine should delay drying enough to work comfortably shouldn’t it?. I paint in acrylics, oils, and watercolors since about ’72, but never seriously explored this medium, probably influenced by the opinions of the opposition. Well, today I can say ” Stuff your opinions ” I’m out to get some Gouache tubes.
I really enjoyed your article on painting with gouche. I’m a nervous novice and want to illustrate a story I have written for my grandchildren and I love the overall effect you have achieved in your paintings. I feel that if a painting invites you to step inside it then it has achieved something very special. Very inspirational. Many thanks.
Irena Forde
Australia March 2014
Thank you for creating and maintaining this blog. I paint in watercolor, gouache and I’m experimenting with egg tempera. Like you, my wife retires this August and we’re off to the Pacific Northwest to paint for 45 days. BTW masonite works great with homemade gesso.
Ralph thank you SO much for this blog. Just discovered it. I mostly paint with oils but then found Acryla Gouache and I am hooked. When I paint on paper I’m fine framing with glass but lately I’ve been using cradled boards. Love that feel of painting on them. So my question is if I spray a finished painting on that cradled board with the krylon I’m safe to sell it and the surface won’t be hurt? I can think of it as sealed? Thanks for your help. All best. Cynthia Wick
Cynthia, you’re doing two things that I’m not familiar with. I’ve never used Acryla Gouache, and I’ve never painted on cradled boards. That’s just for starters. In my descriptions of using gouache, I have tried to emphasize that I don’t guarantee anything. In the section titled “Painting with Gouache”, in the paragraphs about Painting on Masonite, I have noted that I lost a large number of gouache paintings because I painted over acrylic gesso on some Masonite boards (sold in art stores) that did not take the gesso. In some cases, it took a couple of months, and in some cases, a couple of years, but the gesso layer peeled away from the Masonite surface. These days I paint almost exclusively on illustration board, and I varnish those paintings with no hesitation at all But.I would still never want to be responsible for telling you the surface is definitely sealed. Sorry!
Ralph, I’s so moved by our work. Was looking for your workshop schedule. Could not find it.
David, what a nice comment. Thank you! One of these days I might try to do a workshop, but so far I haven’t. I do appreciate your interest, though.
I really enjoy reading your new blog posts, and the most recent one about ink and watercolour brings up a question I’ve been trying to solve by my own experimentation, but hopefully you can offer some insight.
So here it is: Is there any advantage to using real watercolour, as opposed watered down gouache? Both seem equally transparent. If I don’t need to own both, and I can have the best of both worlds, I’m happy to save the money!
Thanks,
Lindsay
Lindsay, if you can get the strong color you need without too many layers of gouache, it works fine. Once the layers begin to build up, even thin ones, you might begin to see a bit of opaqueness, which I don’t want over the ink drawing. I have used it, though, and will probably do it again. I’ve tended to use the transparent watercolor recently because a) it’s new to me; b) I can flip open my little watercolor set and go right to work without having to squeeze any paint out on a palette; and c) I can wash as many layers on as I want and not change the strength of the ink drawing. The little set of 8 colors that I’ve had for quite a while wasn’t expensive at all, and I’ve found it to be pretty handy. Hope that helps. Thanks
Hi Ralph, I just came across a thread on Wet Canvas that you started in 2011, asking for more info on Martin Taylor. I don’t know if you have since found him, but the thread has been reactivated with new information. Here is his website http://www.martintaylorartist.com/home-1.html. Pretty amazing! I can see why he interested you.
I’ve been enjoying following your journey with great interest, all the best, Lynn
Hi Martin Taylor here, your pen work reminds me of Arthur Rackham, E.H Sheppard, I love Edward Ardizonne too. Your painting reminds me of N.C Wyeth with shades of Monet, good work. New work showing 18th May -31st May at Gladwell & Pattersons in London. Catalogue available tho view at http://www.gladwellpatterson.com. If ever in London we should meet up. All the best Martin.
Hi Martin, Nice to hear from you. Your work is amazing, and very inspiring. Thank you so much for the kind words, and all the best with the new show! ~ Ralph
Hi- are you the Ralph Parker that worked with Tom Lancet in Dallas? If so, there is a beautiful painting of an image of quanah parker in the clouds over Cowboys on horses on a Mesa overlooking the canyon near where I grew up- I would love to have one of those. Your work is beautiful. Can you please let me know if there is any possibility to get one of those?
Thanks!
Hi Suzy. Yep, that would be me. I remember the painting. Can you tell me where you saw it?
Are you R.W.Parker? We have acquired several landscape watercolors and wondering if you are the same artist? any help would be appreciated. thanks for any response.
Sharon, I think this is the second time I’ve been asked this. It isn’t me. I tried a quick Google search, but didn’t find anything conclusive. You might try searching Images for R.W. Parker, artist on Yahoo.
Thank you Mr. Parker.
Ralph,
Good article. Thanks. I’ve been a watercolor/gouache painter myself for years (Facebook.com/ogdenparkgallery). I’ve learned from Eric Tiemens to use watercolor and gouache almost interchangably when appropriate: dark watercolors to keep the darks transparent, ending with gouache for color and opaqueness. I also have the camper-van and travel in it to paint!! It would be a pleasure to rendezvous to do some painting! If interested lets stay in touch. Painters make good friends. -John Guillory, Baton Rouge, Louisiana
John, your work is wonderful! The Tiemens influence is obvious and strong. I’ve spent a lot of time looking at Eric’s work, but always seem to fall back into the “oil painter” mentality. I love what you do and will spend more time studying it. I can learn from you. Thanks for the contact. ~Ralph
Wow. Thanks Ralph. The main conflict in myself about how to paint is vacillating between gouache and watercolor. When watercolor is going badly the little voice says but gouache is more like oils and easier (the same oil painter mentality you mention). Then that fails miserably and the little voice says but watercolor is easier. Recently I did 4 terrible paintings outdoors, was rather upset for days over it. Then it finally sunk in: I can’t keep switching back and forth between them. I chose watercolor, returned to the basics as exemplified by Joseph Zbukvic. The next 4 watercolors turned out much better. I’ve resolved (I think for at least the next year) to stick to basic watercolor technique until I don’t have to think about technique too much. -John
I have a similar problem. My wife and I do whimsical art (acrylic and ink, primarily), and I do some “storybook” art. Totally different from the traditional landscape work in gouache. I’m just now trying to get my gouache touch back by doing a bunch of small 5x7s. Sometimes I wish I had just kept painting the way I was about 4 or 5 years ago. But… all that said, I still love what I’m doing in my “retirement”.
I have just tried to read your latest newsletter (10 March 2017) which includes a button to read about Dean Mitchell. This was on the page:
404: Page Not Found. We are terribly sorry, but the URL you typed no longer exists. It might have been moved or deleted, or perhaps you mistyped it. We suggest searching the site.
I did search further. but got the same reply
Bridget, I’m not sure what button you’re referring to. I didn’t include anything like that. When I go to the blog post, I don’t see any such button. I’m confused.
Welcome back, Ralph! I’ll be 80 next month, and I really don’t know where the years have gone. Keeping active with pastels, watercolors and ink really help me take my mind off more serious things like the virus 19. I live with my wife in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, and I’m staying busy during the winter months with art projects. Your work has given me inspiration to keep at it.