15×22 Fluid cold press 140# Nothing spells summer like crepe myrtles in bloom, delicious heirloom tomatoes and banana peppers.

I do have to say I like the fluid paper. Stays flat as a flitter no matter how much water you put on it and those blossoms were often more water than paint.

Earlier – sorry about the shadow!

The drawing. I used a Derwent 2 B pencil that I got at Binders Tuesday. Not too wild about them. Scratchy instead of smooth like most pencils.

The crepe myrtles were tough to do. I did them by splattering and more splattering sometimes wiping the splatter out with my brush or my finger.

Charles Reid colors.

So what did I learn. Remember to set a timer on my phone and leave it across the room so I get up every 20 min or so. The crepe myrtles are a smidge dark because I didn’t. Well there’s always the back of the paper right?!

Margaret ready to knit her second sock. Xoxox

Summertime #augusta #georgia #watercolor #art #painting #artist #painter #aquarelle #atlanta #summertime #allaprima #summer #lifestyleblogger #lifestylechange #drawing #sketching #holbein #mgraham #danielsmithwatercolors #drawing #sketching #charlesreid #artinthemountain

My granddaughter Livie will be four this month. Here she is watching tv – the only time kids seem to hold still.

You might be wondering how I painted her sun streaked hair. Actually the same way I painted Kate’s yesterday. You have to think backwards.

Cad pale yellow first. Try to leave some white of the paper showing.

Let it dry. Then you add streaks of burnt sienna in Livies case or raw umber and burnt umber in Kate’s place.

Next up another painting of Kate. Started this one first yesterday but got annoyed I couldn’t get the feet in so started another paintjng. Now I think I will finish it. Drawn w a Derwent 2B sketch pencil in Fluid 140#.

Margaret still tired from her insane drive home thru endless monsoons yesterday. Xoxoxo

Actually looks better in person than in a photo. Have had a hard time with the photo of it. It goes dark.

The sketch

Progress but what’s with the black blob under the avocado. Eek how did that happen. I got to heavy handed?!!!

Finish line is near.

Before I lifted the shadow under the avocado. You do that by dampening the spot to lift with a brush and blot it with a Kleenex over and over til it lightens.

So what do I like about it??!

Sunflowers and my green frog pot.

Best wine bottle I have ever painted.

The Scissors. Painted with my Holbein palette loaded with Charles Reid colors.

Fluid cold press #140 paper.

Margaret off to Atlanta for the the night to draw in the morning wondering why she doesn’t just stay home and paint here?! Xoxoxo

#fluid #savannah #georgia #watercolor #art #painting #artist #painter #aquarelle #atlanta #lostedges #watercolor #painter #aquarelle #allaprima #lifestyleblogger #lifestylechange #drawing #sketching #travel #travelblogger #holbein #mgraham #danielsmithwatercolors #drawing #sketching #lifemodel #charlesreid #WorldWatercolorGroup #artinthemountain

Ratatouille 16×22″

Calling this one quits. I kept it lighter than its companion painting which I will post tomorrow.

The sketch before I rearranged it. I was trying to make it look less arranged. As in someone is getting ready to cook.

I had already started painting when I decided to rearrange the veg one more time.

No more Rearranging. May tweak it a little. Living with it and it will tell me.

Margaret who made some awesome ratatouille. Xoxoxo

Ratatouile Now not to screw it up!! 😂🤪 #stillmanandbirn #savannah #georgia #watercolor #art #painting #artist #painter #aquarelle #atlanta #lostedges #watercolor #painter #aquarelle #allaprima #lifestyleblogger #lifestylechange #drawing #sketching #travel #travelblogger #holbein #mgraham #danielsmithwatercolors #drawing #sketching #lifemodel #charlesreid #WorldWatercolorGroup #artinthemountain

According to Judy Reid who keeps Charles Reid organized and the class too. Judy also arranged the flowers, assigns seats, sells paintings coordinates book signings and buys Charles a new baseball cap without which I think he could not paint.

The kindergarten teacher may have retired but she still is herding her class. A funny lovely lady Judy tells a good version of the Chuck and Judy show as she bills them which has been going on since 1961 when they met at U of Vermont. Behind every great painter is a well organized woman if they are lucky enough.

Here’s the Charles Reid story according to Judy with a few amendments from Charles.

BYTW Charles does not like to exercise. His brother the doctor did and is long gone. Charles is 81 and going strong.

And according to Charles these are the main student problems.

The evening of the next to the last day of class Colette, Mike and I sat on the rooftop of the Homewood suites and made a list of our favorite Charles Reidisms. Here they are

Looks a little plain compared to the other pages. Guess I will have to paint it too.

Been working on a new painting most of the day. Did I say Tahred. On melt down trying to get an entry together for the SC Watermedia National Show. Entries due next Friday. 🙀

I even bought an interesting shaped bottle of olive oil today. Calling this painting Ratatouille because of the veggies in it. Just couldn’t do another eggplant aka Barney painting.

Did five sketches of geese at Browns Feed and Seed. I wandered across them when I was looking for there chickens that are usually at Browns. just as much fun to draw geese as chickens and they don’t run around as much. Two are still in the car. Not the geese. Sketches!! 😂

Paintings done with Charles Reid colors. New Palette. The other one was getting old and rusty with enamel popping off.

Lamy pen Noodler Eelskin ink and Stillman and Birn sketchbook.

Margaret xoxoxo

Ratatouille #stillmanandbirn #savannah #georgia #watercolor #art #painting #artist #painter #aquarelle #atlanta #Augusta #watercolor #painter #aquarelle #allaprima #lifestyleblogger #lifestylechange #drawing #sketching #travel #travelblogger #holbein #mgraham #danielsmithwatercolors #drawing #sketching #lifemodel #charlesreid #WorldWatercolorGroup #artinthemountain

I drew this the night we hung out at the bar restaurant on top of the Homewood Suites. Dummy me forgot to take a picture of the scene so I improvised colors.

The grey building on the left is actually the Pirates House one of the oldest buildings in Savannah. Men used to be shanghaied from the place and impressed into service on the ships at the nearby harbor. The restaurant will give you a tour of the tunnels under it where the kidnappers took the men to the ships.

Colors used Charles Reid palette. Stillman and Birn sketchbook Lamy Ef Noodler Eelskin Ink.

Margaret getting a haircut. Xoxoxox

Savannah #stillmanandbirn #savannah #georgia #watercolor #art #painting #artist #painter #aquarelle #atlanta #lostedges #watercolor #painter #aquarelle #allaprima #lifestyleblogger #lifestylechange #drawing #sketching #travel #travelblogger #holbein #mgraham #danielsmithwatercolors #drawing #sketching #lifemodel #charlesreid #WorldWatercolorGroup #artinthemountain

Mercer House on Monterey Square Savannah

On Monterey Square.

One day when I was in Savannah I got up at the crack of dawn to go draw old town Savannah.

Forsyth Park

I really wanted to draw the big fountain in Forsyth Park but it would have used all my time up to walk to it and draw so I drove over to Monterey Square to draw the Mercer House. I actually ended up drawing all four corners of the square. Aka more houses to come.

The family home of Johnny Mercer of Moon River song fame and where a infamous murder took place back in the late eighties. The murder was made famous by the Book and the movie starring Kevin Spacey Midnite in the Garden of Good and Evil.

Due to the murder and two other deaths it’s one of the most haunted homes in Savannah. A young boy actually fell from the roof and died when he was impaled on the wrought iron fence. Terrible story isn’t it?!!

Painted with watercolor pencils and my whiskey painter palette. And a white univalve gel pen.

Ps I had fun splattering the greenery and the resurrection that swathes the old live oaks branches by tapping on my size ten davinci brush Not the Ferrel.

Margaret off to see Mama Mia. Xoxox

Mercer House Savannah #stillmanandbirn #savannah #georgia #watercolor #art #painting #artist #painter #aquarelle #atlanta #lostedges #watercolor #painter #aquarelle #allaprima #lifestyleblogger #lifestylechange #MercerHouse #sketching #travel #travelblogger #holbein #mgraham #danielsmithwatercolors #drawing #sketching #lifemodel #charlesreid #WorldWatercolorGroup #artinthemountain