Really like this one now. Bright colorful. Just like Hippo Hop. 
This one still needs something.
Not sure what but both look a lot better with color. At least to me.
Today we had a picnic and art In The park. A big hit with Liv and Henry. Livie kept on paintingfor quite a while after we got home.
Time to put the grandkids to bed and watch the last episode of Shameless which is my favorite tv show. LOVE the Gallaghers and their crazy lives.
Margaret heading home manana. Xoxoxoxo
Today.
We whiled away a hot summers morning at Hippo Hop. One of the first people there we were so early but gradually it filled up.
Funny what you notice about people when you draw. The lady with her phone was always on her phone with her back to the kids the whole time. I drew her twice. I never saw her with a child the whole three hours we were there. 
However the nanny in the middle and the right bottom was keeping an eagle eye on her charges hovering nearby. But almost all the other parents, grandparents and nannys faces the directions of the bouncy house array so they could keep tabs on the kids. And usually a kid would show up with their adult. But not the lady on the phone. So strange.
Read an encouraging story about female impressionist painters today on my artsy.net email about Morrisot Cassatt and several other female painters. One was a great portrait painter Philadelphian artist Cecilia Beaux whom I has never heard of.
Margaret whose ready to finish Like Lions a sequel to Bull Mountain by Brian Panowich that I read a few years ago. Both great books. 1/4″ left to go. Xoxoxo
Auvers Van Goghs Blue Church on the hill my version
But I knew that. 
This article based on a forensic analysis of his death says otherwise. 
Of course I can’t get to my sketchbook and share a map of Auvers. It’s in Augusta and I am not.
Go on a Viking Seine River cruise in the winter and they will take you to Auvers since Monets Giverny near Normandy closes in October.
Margaret in Atlanta with the grandkids. Xoxoxox
My favorite kind of urban sketching sitting in the AC looking out a window. Don’t like to sweat. Lamy Vista Noodler Eelskin Ink. Superaquabee sketchbook.
This street has some awesome bungalows on it so great sketchable views out all its huge windows.
Tip: turn the pen upside down to make finer lines.
Margaret done for the day xoxoxo
This painting is all about using different blues.
The High has several gun slit shaped wndows – tall and narrow- at the ends of corridors. They always have interesting views.
I had to think long and hard how to paint this one because basically all the buildings were a version of white and grey.
The sky is cobalt. I used cerulean and burnt sienna for greys onthe right hand building. the left building got more cobalt watered down.
Then I started adding black made with cerulean and burnt umber.
The changes are almost imperceptible.
Anyway grandkids time in Decatur. Ttyl
Xoxoxo Margaret
These were such fun to color with the tombows whilst I watched tv last night. Four tombows flesh green and two blues one of which was light. The other was so dark I could use the blue on my brush for shadows. 
Think the color improved him greatly.
Page two colored. Just used two tombows flesh and a wierd green. Then added water to the green. You never know what will happen with tombows. Sometimes good sometimes not.
This is before. I think it too was improved by color even though it’s simpler.
These are my friend Ruth Pearls. You can follow her on Instagram at Britpeach She used Derwent watercolor pencils and a copic market.
Her second one. I think the bottom sketch somehow is perfect of Mueller. Such expression.
Margaret who wants to finish her book called. The Irressistible Blueberry Bakeshop and café. I think I have gone Blueberry crazy baking too many blueberry pound cakes. I discovered I am NOT a lover of big wads of cooked blueberry. However I have friends that LOVE it.
Best thing about congressional hearings is getting to draw the talking heads. My dear friend Ruth Pearl and I would LOVE to be court reporters of any needs us. Too much fun. Will share a couple of hers with you after I ask her. 
AND I finished this hahnemuhle journal. Now I can go back to stillman and birn. The hahnemuhle hated the tombow markers. When I tried to brush them out the paper peeled. WHAT?!!
And the spine is totally broken and falling apart. Last time that happened was when I first used Stillman and Birn. They sent me a stack of four to replace that one book. WHAT was I thinking changing even if it was to try out a nice non plastic covered journal. Sigh.
Page 1&2
Tombows. Always fun not as messy as watercolors BUT I think I will paint the other two pages I drew today. 11 heads all together.
Have to say he’s DIFFICULT to draw. Not sure why.
One tip. You can draw these guys in 5-10 min. If u start where he’s looking right and don’t finish wait. Sooner or later he will resume the same position and you can finish. Try it – it’s a lot of fun. That’s how I did the big one. Every time Schiff or Nunez questioned him I worked on the big one some more.
Page 3&4
Page three. Especially like the one on the bottom right.
Ink ones are my Lamy Ef a sweet writing pen with noodler brown ink.
Margaret who might have to listen to more news. Xoxoxox
Think this one is done. I added shots of burnt sienna to the gold and a few wet splatters softening the edges w water. Added a few washes out cerulean strokes mixed w palette mud here and there for shadows. A bit of flesh to the people. 
Before the quin gold and cad yellow was over powering the sketch. So when it’s messed up there’s nothing to lose playing with it. 
The original sketch.
Lamy EF Noodler Eelskin Ink stillman and birn Zeta.
Margaret who really needs to contact wordpress to get rid of the annoying popup in the ap. xoxoxo
I drew this the first time the first trip I made to the High Museum to see the European Masters. What a show!! Can’t rave about it enough.
This was his original. About 5×7 feet. Mine is tiny in my Stillman and Birn Zeta which is 6 x 9 1/2″.
The orange is cad yellow and cad red light.
Brown is sepia which I roughly brushed With the side of my Escoda pearl brush while the orange was still wet.
Blue skirts are cerulean.
Outlining sepia done with my Vlad sword brush.
Flesh same as the background different proportions.
Hair sepia and cad red light.
Margaret ready for bed but having to stay up till her experimental blueberry orange pound cake cools wondering WHY my blueberries didn’t mix in like they should. Most ended up on the bottom of the pan though I coated them and folded them in to the cake. 🤔🤔🤔☹️xoxoxo
Out the second floor window at the High
This still needs work. Meant to do it today but went to Lion King instead. It was almost standing room only. The cgi was amazing. The animals looked so real.
And still haven’t decided if this is done. Maybe there’s too much yellow background?! Seemed like a good idea except I don’t seem to like one solid color. Will have to think about this.
When I was home I spent a lot of time looking for a sketch of Kate I did a while back. Finally found it in the FIRST palace I looked. And I looked there several times. How did I miss it. Now to get Miss Kate painted. Time is running OUT!!
Margaret who has to watch the first Fantastic Beasts so I can figure out what was going on in the second one. Of course I find all the cgi highly entertaining. Xoxoxo
Margaret McCarthy Hunt Art 