Toys are great practice to draw. And challenging. Really need to paint this page. Funny I actually enjoying my grandkids toys.

If you decide to do this draw fast because they may come along and claim the toy before you get done. Eeekk.

Been baking today. Delicious coconut macaroons and these traditional British Christmas treats small individual mince meat pies. So yummy. My friend Ruth used to bake these for me before she moved to Chattanooga. Now I have to bake them. I also share them with friends like she did. If you decided to try them be sure to get Crosse and Blackwell not Borden’s. I never liked mince meat til Ruth reintroduced me to it.

Margaret making more French knots on that hat.

Xoxoxox

I do love doing gestures. Number 1. A little off.

I think these were all three minute sketches of Kate Marie. Been meaning to post them for a while. They really do work as a warm up. You get better as you quickly sketch the models various poses. Some of them were killer.

Done with derwent sketch pencils. Big thick things.

I think these are actually watersouble graphite but like posting the gestures I never got around to it.

In my super aquabee sketchbook.

An adult sized hat approaching the finish line. Lots of French knot ornaments and some twizzles to knit for the top.

Or is it a Grinch hat. No that would be chartreuse green right?!!

Margaret whose been out in this freezing drizzle all day and wishes she had a warm snapping fire in the fireplace to come home too. I guess I will settle for Zoe. Xoxoxo hohoho

Time to feed the birds. Poor things are starving in this awful weather. Tons of birds on the back deck.

I should have drawn more than the four crazy male cardinals on the back porch posturing and fighting over the bird seed but I am madly knitting Christmas hats.

One down a baby hat for a Christmas Eve possible delivery and a second one like the one in the photo for a friend who lost her house in one of the hurricanes. It’s about half done.

Hohohoho Christmas is coming. Xoxoxox Margaret and Zoe

Tam and her iPad in her happy spot on the porch at Key West where you can listen to the trade winds rattle the tall palms. She would still be there on the porch if she could.

Went to a great show tonight at the Aiken Center for the Arts. George Dawney was showing some of his gorgeous sketches and oil paintings.

As I told him the most beautiful sketches I have seen since the sketches from the Louvre at the High Museum Show a few years ago. George is also on Instagram.

In Camera Oil

In Camera 2 Oil

Equiline

Indigo Equus

Sport of Kings

Vespasian

White

There was one more large oil that I forgot to take a photo of.

Margaret ready to savor this weeks Big Bang xoxoxo

Of my dog sitting is that I usually draw the dogs at least once or twice. Depends on how long I stay. It makes a nice record of our family dogs through out their lives.

A not so great side benefit is that I can tell when they are fading which makes me sad. I do wish our pups could live forever. Or at least as long as we do. Should be a rule. On the other hand the pounds would be worse off than they are. Zoe and I have been toying with adopting another lab friend for us. Right now falling on the no side. But who knows.

Noodler Eelskin Black Ink and Lamy Ef in my Stillman nd Birn Alpha. May or may not get paint. He’s a black and white polka dotted pit bull.

Margaret tired from baking two apple pies from scratch AND hunting all over town for yarn to knit Christmas twizzle hats.

Well Maybe.

Nope still have some more left. Guess I better count and see what I posted. This is actually one of my favorites. I drew the people staying at the Hyatt Beach House that week. Every week at the Hyatt starts with a give away from local businesses.

We have won all kinds of things. This year it was a bottle of Papa rum which is a good sipping rum. We have won free art work my personal favorite the shark hunt tour where we went chumming for shark. Fascinating what the captains know about the Waters around Key West.

Charles Reid palette Lamy Wf with Eelskin Black and a Stillman and Birn Zeta.

Margaret poopped from too much shopping today. Xoxoxo

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dessert at La Grande above Duval street where you could watch the world go by. Key West is in general very flat The highest spot on the island is only 18 feet. We actually wondered one night on a gallery crawl WHERE you would go during a hurricane. Not sure why the front porch and yard of Le Grande is built up but it is with a great view of the street. The outside area is lovely shimmering in the candlelight with lots of umbrellas. in case you forgot what we ate. The deserts were delicious and my Jamison’s hit the spot.

Margaret feeling a little peaked today. Hugs xoxoxox

Pepe’s Cafe outdoor patio and bar. They also have another older section where we ate inside.

My wheezy gorp was back today so will make this short. First restaurant I have ever been in that you can pet a cat. Of course the car would probably make me sneeze since I am mildly allergic to them. Sad because I do like cats.

Charles Reid colors mostly M Graham or Holbein because it’s easy to rewet them unlike Daniel Smith. They are both made with honey which helps.

Lamy EF Eelskin Black Stillman and Birn Zeta.

Margaret back to lying around. Xoxoxo

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