Month: March 2016

Day 625 – Pegasus Bridge

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This sketch of the Pegasus Bridge  Museum was going well til for some reason unknown to me I decided to drop a museum visitor into the mix who was as tall as the statue on the left. Huh?! What was I thinking?! 

The only way I could think of to save this sketch of an interesting building was to draw a red  Pegasus Bridge symbol and glue it over the woman. Not the best sketch but the best solution to the problem. 

The top of the building is built like the glider that the Bristish Glider Infantry used to fly behind the Nazi lines in France to capture the Pegasus Bridge in Caen. This battle to control and hold the Bénouville Bridge at Caen France commenced the WW2 Normandy D Day Invasions. 

So brave where the British Glider Infantry during the fighting that Bénouville Bridge was renamed Pegasus for the red Pegasus Patch worn by the elite British paratroopers.  

Read more about this battle here.  The Brostosh dead were buried at nearby Ranville church which I will post tomorrow. 

Thanks for reading. 

Margaret xxx

Day 624 – A touch of whimsy

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 A few quick pen sketches I did today at  the Augusta Area Newcomers luncheon. 

I actually was hiding the sketchbook under the table. I warmed up with the lady on the left and proceeded to our auctioneer Ken and then one of my friends hiding behind a huge basket. If I paint them they will know who they are by their clothes. They don’t look a lot like them.  
This one however does look a lot like our esteemed adorable sweet president Susan. Warming up does help!! 

  
I actually won the silent auction on this wonderful acrylic by friend and Dr Sketchy/Saturday life modeling sketching friend Ruth Pearl. LOVE it. Now where to hang it?! 

Noodler Konrad and strathmore 500 Moxed Media sketchbook. Stick those sketchbooks in your lap and get your pens busy. If I can sketch in the middle of 200 people I  know you can do it too. 

Thanks for reading. 

Margaret xxx

Day 623 – a bit more France 

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Arrowmonches Les Bains in Normandy near the D Day invasion  site. Charming quintessential French village by the seaside. Some of the WW2 beach defenses still remain out in the breakers. 

We had a delicious coq au vin lunch at Brasserie 6 Juin.  

I almost missed the bus drawing this picture. 😳 I could have happily sat there drawing the village all afternoon while the others went to the landing sites but it would have been a LONG walk back to the boat moored at quai in Rouen. 

Thanks for reading. 

Margaret xxx dreaming of France 

Day 622 The Major 

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30×40″ acrylic
 Is done. What else can I say. Hmm should I add at least for today?! 😊 you never know what I might decide needs fixing when I look at him tomorrow BUT I really do think he’s done. 

 

 He will be entered in the big show in Anderson SC next month so let’s hope he doesn’t talk to me anymore. 

 
Detail of his hands

Tip:The smallest brush he was painted with was a 1″ hog bristle filbert. Impossible to get to picky with these brushes. He was also painted with a three inch house painting brush. 

The only work done with a small brush was the original  sketch. It was done with a 1/4″ Winsor Newton monarch filbert. I do love those brushes. 

  
I also finished her up yesterday but she reserves the right to talk to me and say MORE!! 

Thanks for reading. 

Margaret xxx whose drowning in the early pollen. Green snow covers the world in Augusta Ga. 

Day 621-Duval Street 

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  I love this beautiful old episcopal church on Duval. St Pauls is supposedly haunted by the sea captain that donated the land to the church. He haunts the tower. 
 
Here’s another view of St Pauls tower against the bright blue Caribbean sky. 

More about Haunted Key West. Great ghost tour. 

Thanks for reading. 

Margaret xxx

Day 620 – River Island

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  Spent a delightful day yesterday with Ann Gilmore and Cyndy Epps painting on Mary Futrells back porch in River Island. We were the features artists on Augusta Symphony 7th Annual Kithcen Tour of homes.  
 


This is one of the things that I painted while I was there. The red trees are red oaks.  Did you know that this is the only time of the year you can tell they are red oaks- because they leaf out with a red blush. 

 
  

Yesterday was a deliciously perfect spring  day to spend on a back porch painting and talking the day away. What fun!! This was our view. 

I guess I was actually Plein air painting for once outside. Usually I stay out of the weather and paint in the car or thru the window at my house because it’s often far too hot or too buggy along the river. 

Colors used alizarin Winsor yellow cerulean cobalt dioxzine purple hematite green ultramarine blue burnt umber burnt sienna Quinacridone sienna. 

Thanks from reading. 

Margaret xxx

Day 619 -Iguana

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In Key West watch out for iguana racing for cover at your approach. We named him Mango because we love mangoes and he has an orangish tint to his skin.   A big 4-5 foot long guy he lives in the yard of the condos we stay in at Key West. 

 
They eat anything from shrubbery to fish. They do accept food gifts fruit being a particular favorite. 

When scared they can whip you with thier tails or BITE you with thier teeth. Usually they just run away or swim across Cow Channel.

Thanks for reading.  

Margaret xxx 

Day 618 – Ibis

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I met the Ibis at the Key West Wildlife Center and fell in love with the little beggars. They LOVE dog food.   

A hopeful herd followed us around as we toured the center. No such luck with the chickens or the iguanas who ran away with surprising bursts of speed. 

 

But even the ibis will only get so close. 

Thanks for reading. 

Margaret xxx

Day 616 – Flapping those wings. 

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She’s been thru a lot of changes now. Really love her wings. In fact really like EVERYTHING except one tiny thing. Her right breast.  How did it get so round?! But that’s easy to fix. At least I think it is.

Hardest part will be going downstairs to the garage to get the paint out of the car. 

Here are a few before and in he process photos.  

  
Saturday after an hour and a half. Maybe she was better then.  I dunno. Anyway she told me she wanted to be an angel. 

  
Monday. At some point I think I for her left foot to light in the bottom. Hmm how?! And I didn’t like the stripiness of the wings. 

 

Knocking   Back the gold and dark streaks in  wings. I added a lot of brushy dry white. 
   
And the bottom part brushes out whiter. I also added a lot of iridescent gold and a smidge of copper which is impossible to see in a photo. 

Ok so I will fix her foot and her breast.  The foot makes her look floaty somehow. Took me till Judy now looking at all these photos to figure out why she looked that way. 👀  And I thought the problem was her breast. 

Thanks for reading.  

M who needs a nap now. Xxx
Margaretxxx