Category: Painting

Day 143 Giverny 2

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Notice the numbers have gone down. I counted today exactly 143 days since IT started. I had been using Gov Cuomos count. I guess NY started before Ga.

Today I decided to repaint Giverny on different paper with different paint. Paint along with Vladislav Yesileyev. I spent an hour this am talking to a customer service rep at Cheap Joes. Great guy, very helpful, stuck out in the boonies near Boone NC where Cheap Joes is located. We talked each other’s ears off.

The gist of the conversation was I don’t like my cream colored Fabriano rough because it’s c ream colored. Great paper except it’s NOT white. And it takes the brightness away from the watercolor.

Turns out there is Fabriano rough white. Some is wafting it’s way to me as I type.

So I pulled out that annoying arches 140 block. Did I say it’s bright white. Paper may be rotten but it was the right color.

It was taped up ready to Paint. I also used my Fealing Lin palette full of non Chalky Daniel Smith M Graham and lovely Holbein plus A bit of cheap Joes Andrews turquoise and his alizarin permanent.

I think the whole thing is much brighter due to the white paper and the paint. The bottom one is the one from today. Top is the Fabriano cream w Lukas paint.

I should have listened to my friend Mike abt Lukas paint. Best I can say is it’s cheap.

I splattered the flowers while the green was wet like Charles Reid used to do. I may had a bit of pink w some gouache.

I also got better darks w my regular paints than I can ever get w the Lukas.

Wild storm tonite. Power out again. Sigh.

Goodnite all Margaret and Zoe tucked up in bed. Xoxoxo

Day 150 Giverny

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Our brushes lifted over for Giverny Paint along with Vladislav Yesileyev today in Normandie France. One day I hope to go. Giverny closes in October and we cruised by on our Viking longboat in November. We did get to tour Auvers sur L’Oise where Van Gogh lived and painted and finally died-even visiting his attic room where he drew his last breath and the cemetery where he’s buried. The sketch 300lb Fabriano rough

10×15

First wash. Off to the paint brush races.

Sprinting for the finish adding dappled shadows. Watercolors all about thinking light to dark.

Trees have grown zip zip so fast.

Cad yellow and cobalt neutral tint burnt umber.

Done for now though I think it needs more darks. I may resplatter. I wanted Monet pink. I got a red. Hmm and yes I added white gouache to the splatter. Oops.

How cute is this Downey?

Margaret back to her knitting. Xoxoxo

Day 146 River Bend Days

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Pronouncing it done from a photo out my back window a couple of weeks ago. I added the tiny kayaker. They go by in droves when I am painting.

The photo

First wash with very thin cerulean and cobalt mix. Yellow ochre alizarin and neutral tint thinned down with water. 90% water 10% color.

Moving along.

Then I forgot to take another photo. Opps.

So done I also added some white gouache splatter in hopes of giving it a focal point. Probably should have been red to give a contrast w the reflected area on water.

I sprayed the edges of the trees with the mister to soften the edges. Added more blues and greys to the sky.

Scratched tree and bush branches with a chopped up credit card. Did a great job but hard to catch it in time to do it. Too dry it won’t scratch. Ditto if too wet.

This is 140# rough Fabriano which waffled like crazy with all the water I dumped on it but amazingly dried almost flat aka flat enough as my friend Kristin would say.

Finished this one up. Added more darks especially in the shadows and on the trees. Some whites for highlights.

Margaret

Day 144 Mellow Mushroom

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Today’s painting. Mellow Mushroom On Broad St. – FOR SALE 10×15” watercolor

Might be done. We shall see. Course I say that all the time so could be I will change it by this time tomorrow.

I started it a few weeks ago. So glad I can scratch it off my to do list. I should always have an espresso in the am. Get so much more done. House squeaky clean and a new painting. Not bad for one days work.

I also worked on Dubrovnik some more. Tried to take some of the purple put of the wall. And wipes out some color on the right. I might need to wipe out some more. Who knows. It ak be done when it’s done right?! Lifted the handle of the par with some tape and a sea sponge.

Wipes out the signs dark shadow with the tape sponge trick and the black shadow under the truck.

Those two black shadows under the truck and around the sign screamed look at me. As did that white shirt on the girl in the foreground that had to go too.

Margaret contentedly tired but who needs to do her Powerplate xoxoxo

Day 143 Paint brushes flew

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300 lb Fabriano rough

Away to Dubrovnik Croatia paintalong with Vlad Yesilesev today. Great fun. Lots of mad painting. Vlad was funnier than usual today and he’s always funny. You really should join us.

The photo. Not much to look at as a photo is it?

The value sketch. Vlads. This is what we paint from.

The sketch

First wash. Yellow Ochre alizarin cobalt and card red orange rooftops. Not much paint at all.

Heading down the sidewalk. Sky cerulean cobalt neutral tint and whatever else Vlad decided to toss into the mix.

More washes. Darker ones.

Adding browns and dioxzine purple.

Trees cad yw cobalt ultramarine yellow ochre burnt sienna neutral tint.

And more darks. Scratching out lines. Think I might take some of the purple out of the wall but not til tomorrow.

Wildly painting lines with my sword brush which worked fine today skimming out electric lines without a problem.

Some splatters for crepe Myrtle tree flowers.

Margaret who needs a nap now. Xoxoxox

Day 140 Kitchen counter

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Hard to believe it’s been 140 days since our lives changed. Hope you and yours are staying safe and wearing masks.

These sit on my kitchen island. A bank for my change and of course the now required hand sanitizer because sometimes I just get sick of washing my hands. I do think I am slightly addicted to hand washing though.

And a page to commemorate the to shortage aka wars. Signs of our times right?!

Namiki Fude in my Fabriano Artemis journal.

Done

Today’s bake. A cheesy cauliflower deep dish pizza. Not my fav. Next time back to my fav red onion garlic and zucchini topped with mozzarella.

Xoxox Margaret who thinks these would really look good with some paint.

Day 138 Maryland Farm vc

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So far. Was completely worn out when this paint along with Vladislav Yesileyev was done. Already making a list of improvements.

I couldn’t help but think that Frank and Mike on American Pickers would be Gaga over this old army truck. Vlad cracked me up by saying wonder what color this truck used to be. I wanted to say how about army green?!!!😂👍🏻

The photo

The sketch. Half sheet. A major undertaking. Eeek

First wash. Only a few colors cerulean sky neutral tint alizarin dioxzine purple cobalt yellow ochre cad yellow and red cobalt turquoise burnt sienna. That’s about it for now.

Accidently shot the barn up close. Thought u might like a look. Really nothing there is there.

and not done yet. Half sheet Fabriano rough.

Worn out. Had a glass of wine which I do about once a year. Today was the day.

Another way to look at masks. Better to wear and not need than to not wear and need aka be ill.😘

Hugs wear a mask stay safe.

Margaret Xoxoxox

Day 138 Bonniaux Done

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Quite pleased with it now. What looks like a simple painting is really quite complicated. Truly it is.Paint along with Vladislav Yesileyev

Worked on the bubbly sky adding greys. Sorting out screwed up roofs and chimneys. It’s easy to get lost in all the different planes. Trying not to loose the Light. Tweaking the background. Adding highlights to the church steeple and some darks. The list goes on. Adding lots of shadows and more greys.

Yesterday. Can you see the difference?!

Margaret who almost forgot to post and does have some sketches. Xoxoxo

Day 137 Provence

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Suddenly quite Tahred so will make this a short one. May be done. Maybe not. Lol. BUT a BIG improvement over the last time I did rooftops. Paint alongs with Vladislav Yesileyev. 300 # Fabriano rough Those were a disaster well comparatively speaking

The Eglise somewhere en Provence

Vlad did the value sketch. He knew this one was going to keep us busy.

The sketch. Talk about a pain. Following all those roof tops trying to be sure to get them all in.

First washes. Mine got a little runny because I used my kolinsky sable which holds much more water than the Escobar sables do.

One more time before we go.

Vlads always saying something funny that tickles me. This was one today. Scribbled on my color test scrap.

Margaret reading to watch Grantchester. Hope I stay awake that long. Feeling the zzz.

Day 136 Giverny

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Pronouncing this one done. I added lines to the sidewalk and stone effect. A few whites with Gouache. More reds on the taillights for sparkle. More black lines. Adding details here and there to improve contrast.

Paint along with Vladislav Yesileyev1/4 sheet Fabriano rough press. Lucas wc paint which I think gives a cloudy effect.

Last time. Can you tell the difference???

I am told this looks just like Giverny. When we were in France we didn’t go because it was closed. Closes in Nov I think.

But we went to Auvers where Van Gogh painted his last 6 months and finally died. It still looks just like it did when he lived there.

Do you know if you had gone to Van Gogh funeral you could have taken home one of his paintings.

I painted this during a five hour long class with Vlad on drawing cars which I draw a lot and people ditto that. He always brings something new and fresh to the table that you have never thought of.

Margaret xoxoxo tucking into my Ina Garten Bianca pizza.