Painting with Don Andrews

September 20, 2021September 20, 2021Leave a comment

My friend Mike and I usually go to Cheap Joe’s to take a class and paint together but all that has gone virtual with covid. She had signed up for a class with Don but it had canceled early in the epidemic.

When he posted a zoom class we decided to have a virtual get together and paint with Don. He does these every other month or so. Scroll down to the bottom of the page to see what he’s up to.

Class evaluation. Don has been teaching at Cheap Joe’s for years. Several of Cheap Joe’s American Journey watercolors are named for him like one of my favs Andrew’s turquoise.

Anyway Don really knows his subject matter and explains it well. Has great class paceing allowing plenty of time for drying the watercolor and breaks. Technology has greatly improved since he and his wife started. He also allows plenty of time for questions after class plus access to the class video for a year on Vimeo.

We started by doing small samples of what he calls granulated washes. You start off wetting the paper then adding colors one by one and letting them blend together. This is on Arches 140 rough.

There’s another word for them – is it ombré washes!? But can’t think of it off the top of my head.

First layers of Mountains in Guatamala I think. The class was about Granulation which he calls his wet on wet technique. He said he thought he got that term from Edgar A Whitney who taught all the older watercolor painters back in the mid twentieth century. The technique is very similar to Whitney’s as you can see if WordPress ever lets me post the photo.

I got this book quite cheaply used on Amazon. Finding the new word press format oh so annoying still and cumbersome compared to the old format. I find “Improvements” in technology frequently make my life more annoying not less. Thanks for listening to me whine.

I checked Whitney’s book. These are called graded and granulated washes in his book. Two types.

Whitney has some of the best explanations of washes in his book.

The graded wash-Done on paper flooded with water the graded wash is an even gradation of color dark at the top almost white at the bottom. Also called ombré.

The granulated washes are done by flooding with plenty of water. Then tilting the paper back and forth “letting the pigment settle in small basins in the paper.”

This might be a pic of the mountains finished. I really should check.

We started with the sky and water wash. Then we dried it.

Then the far background trees and some on the left which I managed to paint out. Oops.

Then we dried it. Notice a repetition here?? Everything is quite sloppy wet using this technique which can be quite fun.

Last layer was applying the darkest darks. And the boat. All the reflections.

Would I take another class from Don. Definitely. I find some watercolor painters just hurry hurry hurry they the class leaving no time to catch up with the teacher or to dry the watercolor. NEVER a good thing trying to paint on a still damp watercolor.

That said now I am off to sew. Been madly making quilts for babies and for my grandkids for Christmas.

Cece and Mikes quilt for sweet Julianne
These are small quilts about forty inches square.

A tiki inspired quilt I made for a friends new grand baby. Her daughter loves tikis and loves this quilt a lot. evidently she had always wanted a quilt so was delighted when she pulled this one out of the mail.

One for my new granddaughter whose due Dec 21. What do you bet she gets a Christmas quilt too?!!

Her big brother David out of his crib now hers and in his big boy bed. He needs a new twin sized quilt. Today’s project to get it the quilt sandwich pinned together and start the quilting which will be a BIG job.

Hugs Margaret who needs to finish her morning caffeine. Xoxoxo

Fun with David R Smith

July 23, 2021July 23, 20212 Comments

Stay tuned for part two.

Never wear blue readers when you paint. Lots of fast slapping paint around. And splattering water to make dots in the damp paint. Then painting again.

Arches 280# cold press paper

Well who knew I would be painting rocks? But I did. I liked it so much I did two. Another Shopkeeparty class.

And then I took another longer class from David and his friend Bob Ross today. Another crazy fun class. He sweetened the class by giving a 20% discount. Now I am thinking abt buying the video. 😳😳😩

The first layer. Quin gold Andrew’s turquoise alizarin cobalt. Maybe ultramarine?! You can watch the cideo too on Shopkeepartys YouTube channel.

The photo. Just those plain rocks they use in landscaping yes those. If you wet them they are actually colors. Who knew!!

The second one on Hahnamuhle 140 Cezanne. And yes I wore the blue readers again like a dummy. Then I took them off and returned them to Costco. Nowhere on the wrapper did it say they turned everything yellow. But truly why didn’t I take them off. This one is better BUT just think what it would look like if I took off my blue readers DUH!!

Two for one. So this one counts for Friday too. Off to Atlanta tomorrow for the next week. plenty on my phone that you have not seen so I can continue my knitting.

Hate to leave this morning view out my back window but needs musts. Off I go tomorrow.

Hugs Margaret. Xoxoxox

Off to Paris

May 18, 2021May 19, 20214 Comments

Don’t we wish we could?! So ready to go somewhere NOW! I hear you can’t go to Australia til the end of the year unless you do a 14 day quarantine in your room you get to pay for. No leaving it. Eeek. Paint along with Vladislav Yesileyev

Anyway here’s the photo.

One of those cafes we all know and love with the cute cane chairs. At least I think they are cane.

Margaret done for the day. xoxoxox hoping she will get this one painted and then finish the Atlanta one. 🤞🏻🤞🏻🤞🏻

Strawberry Time

May 16, 2021May 16, 2021Leave a comment

So good. It’s terrible to have a fresh strawberry stand less than two miles from my house. And lots of other good fresh veggies like corn -delicious- and fresh local spinach and lettuce to name a few.
Most beautiful fresh onions I have ever seen complete with tops. Pulled that morning.

I left the house with $20 in cash in my pocket. by the time I went to pay for my items it was gone. No check and they do not take credit cards which I had plenty of.

A very kind man paid for mine when I told the lady I would run back to the house and find it or a check. Wow!! Thanks mystery man. His story is the pencil writing in the background. Had to commemorate the event.

Anyway Stillman and Birn Epsilon or hmm is it a Beta? heavy paper compared to the Alpha that I usually use. Uniball micro pen. American Journey watercolors.

Margaret xoxoxoxo

The Fox I hope

May 13, 20211 Comment

Well maybe …in the gates but waiting for the race to start. Hoping not to be an also ran.

The sketch kind of sort of done.
Peachtree Road.
The cars need some more work and I think I will add some more people.

Maybe.
Half sheet Hahnemuhle 15×20” 140# rough

Can I just call this done?!

This is my primary picture I am using. I have a ton of photos of the Fox. I snap them when traffic backs up at the light or just put the phone on the dash and take a surreptitious pic or two.

Using this one to add the tall background building. I think it could be a good painting too. That bright sunlight and great shadows in it.

Currently looking at it upside down to see if anything outrageous stands out. Sometimes they do. Like no focal point. The right hand tower of the Morrish influenced Fox will be my focal point.

Try upside down. You will see it works.

On another subject. New cat on the back porch. Eeek. Worse my cats who are bigger than it are afraid of it and run when it tries to eat their food. Dummies don’t know they are suppose to run it off. Sigh.

In the meantime some good news. Still like this painting. Might be my new fav. Hurrah. I didn’t change a thing today.

Margaret xoxoxo

The boat has sailed

May 12, 2021May 19, 20212 Comments

I actually like this so far. The morning will tell. Paint along with Vladislav Yesileyev

Yellow ochre cobalt and alizarin This layer will eventually disappear or appear to be white.

Sky wash cerulean instead of cobalt. Otherwise the same colors. Yellow ochre alizarin and neutral tint

My terrible blotchy trees that I dry brushed. Colors cobalt Dioxzine purple yellow ochre for the purple color. Indigo and cad yellow w a bit of burnt Sienna for the greener colors.

Well zap a lot more done. Too much to tell u even a bit abt it but omgoodness that dinky little boat.

Fixing mistakes. Well trying to. Adding blacks to the trees.

And done for now. So glad those overhead branches hide my terrible rigging on the boats or the blotchy trees. Thank goodness. A reprieve.

Margaret ready for a nap after four hours of madly chasing after Vlad today. Eeek.

Xoxoxoxo

Sailing away

May 11, 2021May 19, 2021Leave a comment

You might need to squint.
15×20” Hahnemuhle rough 140# Paint along with Vladislav Yesileyev

That boat in the middle. Thought I would never get it drawn. Right now it’s done but who knows when i look on the am?!

If the drawings not right you can’t start painting.

Hugs Margaret xoxoxo looking at a busy day tomorrow.

Not a fav

May 8, 20215 Comments

And I usually like painting boats. I can make a list of things to change which I probably won’t do.

Portweir Lock Essex Sussex UK I do think the beach should be greyer. Any easy fix of I add blue to it. Either cerulean or cobalt should do the trick.

Adding calligraphy with a rigger and a few highlights.

I scrubbed the boats off some. Added some purple to the rooves to counteract the yellow and added some darks to the tree line. Also added darks tie the wall behind the boats to make them pop out more.

That rusty colored burnt Sienna beach doesn’t do a thing for me. bet it’s going to get changed soon!!

Margaret who might just gesso over this one. Xoxoxox

Tinkering

May 7, 2021May 19, 2021Leave a comment

And calling it done. Of course I haven’t signed it so I might tinker some more. Who knows. Paint along with Vladislav Yesileyev

I added some more darks. The shadows on the top right of the building- the third story?! Under the roof line and the left side of it. I also added some darks to all the windows and the thing that looks like a garage door.