a few sketches favorite sketches. This one is from the Seine Viking cruise. Richard the Lionhearts chateau at les Andelys Chateau gaillard. He made the townspeople build this before the town aka their houses. Wonder where they lived.

It gets cold in France. Poor peasants. And when they finished he promptly died. Hmmm. a Lovely 80plus year old couple that do the cruise every year

The British cemetary near BayeuxFrance in Normandy. The quote says something like the Anglo Saxons finally saved the conquerors aka the Normans. Hmmm. the view from the restaurant Buzzards Roost Key Largo ditto

Savannah down on river walk. How could I not daw that is it a sphinx? The lion thing. more key largo Lady Violet cause she was my favorite dowton abbey cause character. Scootch my Honey dogs BFF part chow part lab looking for his mom when I babysat him.

My beloved dragon at a Ponce City market.

Back to my headache. Ttyl xoxox hoping it’s gone in the am but yes it’s better thanks very much for asking. Hugs.

So what’s the big experiment?! There are a few.

Writing is one.

I wrote little across the background on this one to see if it would give it more interest. It’s done with a soft lead pencil which I smear with my finger after I am done writing.

I used copyright free Wikipedia as a source for my writing. I like the texture it gives the background.

Another one was to use an inktense pencil to draw them. Inktense are permanent after you wet them. I used a sepia one on the wrens and I think I still like the deep indigo one better which is what I used on the squirrels.

However I DO wish I had not stuck that small wren in at the last minute It was sitting on the back porch busily pecking away. I couldn’t resist. I should have. I also wanted to try to leave it sketchy aka you can see the marks of the watercolor pencil. I think it worked better on the squirrels than the wrens.

Actually like it better with writing. Do you?! Maybe I need to add some stamps. 🤣

I used a really dry #7 or so sable brush which I blotted most of the water from on my pants. Don’t tell my mom.

Then I just laid it down on the squirrels here and there blotting the colors with the brush as I went. You also have to clean the brush a little because it picks up color.

Last experiment is using an old tiny watercolor moleskin that I have had lying around for a while to see how the paper would behave. I know newer moleskins are now made in China and have iffy paper aka no quality control. I bet this one is much older. At least seven years old judging by notes in the back of the book. Sad because they were great books.

Margaret nursing a headache but still drawing. Xoxoxo

The little buggers aka squirrels wrens Gone to the squirrels. #outmybackdoor #nature #watercolorpencils #animals #birds #squirrel #drawing #sketchbookskool #cardinals #naturalworld #savannah #savannahriver #augusta #mixedmedia #art #artist #moleskine

Love the wrens and thought the black bird which I had never seen interesting.

Book club soon so will make this short. I was just amazed that the cardinals ran off this large black bird. He was much bigger than a cardinal but both the male and female ran him off. No chance for even a seed. He showed up hopefully again and again only to get the same treatment.

Poor bird.

Watercolor pencils again in the stillman and birn alpha.

Ttyl Margaret xoxoxo

Gone to the squirrels. #outmybackdoor #nature #stillmanandbirn #watercolorpencils #animals #birds #squirrel #drawing #sketchbookskool #cardinals #naturalworld #savannah #savannahriver #augusta

On a Sunday. Once I got home I decided her eyes were too high and her body was too pale. Maybe I should have just darkened the background. Who knows?! I never can decide. I do like the darker background.

The left side was sprayed with water and then blotted before it was dry giving the splotchy effect.

Anyway I quit. She can collect dust with the others.

The sketch

First break 40 minutes

Second break. 60 minutes or so.

At the end of the session. The palette and the brushes I used.

The head down like that is hard to get right. Next week I am doing the back. Lol. No eyes and ears to contend with.

Drew Murphy 2×3’acrylic

Earlier

First break. He wished he had quit here after forty minutes. Drew is fast.

Told Jeremy he looked like he belonged in Montmartre in Paris drawing.

Jeremy’s gorgeous pastel.

Coach Larry’s great charcoal

Lawyer Lee always uses the almost cubist angles.

Alex’s beautiful pastel. Oddly the white shows up much better on the camera. first break.

HOPE he doesn’t erase it like he usually does.

Amy’s large painting. Second break. Never saw it finished. Really like it a lot.

First break. Great start.

Bills fascinating oil on metal panel. Really like this a lot. Said he used a lot of quin magenta.

Tom Needham’s quiet watercolor. He said he thought he overworked it but I like it. Very soft and delicate.

Dentist Fred who finally has returned from his Italian sojourn.

A second small oil by Coach Larry.

And that’s it. Back to my bird drawings. Back porch at the feeder. Ok so there’s a squirrel or two. Such silly annoying animals. Drawn with watercolor pencils.

Hugs Margaret xoxoxo

Ilania scroll to see the progress on this 90 minute painting #uscaiken #lifemodel #nude #lead #pencil #sketching #watercolor #allaprima #aquarelle #canson #board #danielsmith #holbein #mgraham #albeyer #aiken #augusta

Drew Murphy. He would love this. I took quite a few years off him. I won’t tell u how old he is BUT he’s older than he is in this painting.

Marge the back view. I don’t know if u like it but I do and that’s all that matters right. My website my way.

Still working on my Saturday painting. It might or might not be done. Will decide and post tomorrow one way or the other.

Hugs Margaret xoxoxo

Not too long after I got back from Olmsted Plein Air I realized I should be drawing people I know.

We have all been taking a MFA class from Al Beyer at USC Aiken and Al was retiring- the end of an age at USCA.

Ted

I decided I should draw some of the classmates to remember them.

Side views because we were all sitting listening to Al. Anybody who knows Marilyn or Ted would recognize them from the pencil sketches.

The color is off in Teds watercolor. I have tried to correct it in iPhoto to no avail and am too lazy to scan it or get my big Nikon out. Oops.

Anyway sketched in my stillman and birn with a mechanical pencil. Used lots of green gold on these. Grey is cerulean and DS quin burnt sienna. Flesh tones DS quin coral with a dab of French yellow ochre. Both are transparent colors. The darks are very diluted quin burnt sienna Ted Nuttall palette.

Back to drawing people. I really should spend more time drawing the people in my life instead of the darn dogs. Lol. Dogs hold still better especially as compared to kids. Here’s to more sketches of people I know as opposed to strangers. Time to torture friends and family.

Margaret xoxoxox Sketching friends #uscaiken #usca #albeyer #SouthCarolina #watercolor #painting #portrait #art #aquarelle #smug #coldpress #stillmanandbirn #danielsmith #holbein #mgraham #aiken

And not doing art. Just having fun today so I almost forgot to post. Oopsey.

Finally finished up these guys. Earlier had not liked the guy on the right very much. I like him better now that he has a plaid shirt. Go figure. Why do I like painting plaid?! I also like painting fabric. A lot of people don’t. Maybe they like painting trees. You know I don’t. 🤗

Ultramarine blue to make it look like plaid and a few more dark blues to fix his collar. It’s not that I didn’t draw it right I just didn’t paint it right. These two guys with their cool hats and mustaches were irresistible to draw.

My favorite of the Olmsted pages I think. Well at least one of my favorites.

Worlds longest socks are getting closer to being done. Now WHY the two don’t match I have no idea since I ordered two of the same skeins. Oh well. It will be under his long pants or his lace up shoes so it won’t matter. And they will feel cozy next winter on cold days right?! The yarn is Lorna’s Lace that I bought from Jimmy Beans when they had a sale.

Hugs. Margaret trying to catch up on the dvred tv. Maybe I need to stay home to do that. Xoxoxo

Hats abound at plein air events and I find them fascinating. #atlanta #pleinair #painting #urbansketching #ink #watercolor aqua tells #stillmanandbirn #druidhills

#Olmstedinvitationalpleinair #urbansketching #artists #art #sketchbookskool #demo

Yer Za Vue is a Professor at Portland Art Institute. She gave a funny and informative demo.

She has quite the resume actually drawing Pocahontas and Lilo and Stitch.

Most interesting to me is that she uses clean strip an odorless cleaner from Home Depot to clean her brushes.

A lot of the oil paint solvents give me a headache and her too. So will have to try some.

I did like her number 1 rule to have fun when painting. One I agree with. If it’s not fun why are we doing it?!

Anyway that’s if for tonite. I have been off in Aiken having fun with friends. Ttyl Margaret xoxoxo