Joya Steps up

March 6, 2020Leave a comment

Edited with Waterlogue

Our model was late so Joya nimbly volunteered to model for our gesture sketch session.

The one minute poses. We tried to get her to pole dance but she said NOPE!!

More 1 min poses. She really did some interesting poses.

Three minute poses. We all loved drawing someone with clothes on. Especially the folds and wrinkles in them.

Five minute. I gave my sheaf of drawings to our model Joya. She quipped if I had known you were going to do that I would have given you( aka me) real paper(aka not newsprint).

Charcoal pencil.

Another one dumped into Waterlogue. Such athleticism!! The best she could do in the pole dancing category. 🤗

Margaret giggling at Young Sheldon. Xoxoxo

Neither rain nor sleet nor hail

March 4, 2020Leave a comment

will keep us from gathering at USC Aiken to paint. The weather predicted today was terrible (tornadoes and torrential rain) but we soldiered on.

First break. An all over wash of quin gold some burnt sienna alizarin a touch of mineral violet.

Coming along more of the same colors.

When I left Aiken

Now. I keep losing the edge across her arm and thigh where the drippy background meets the body but really liking the background. I can lift the burnt umber off the skin.

I also lifted her shoulder about 1/2″ to make her body more in proportion with her head which is a touch too big.

Added some more darks to her face especially around the eyes and the chin.

Really like the background which is a combo of all the colors used plus cobalt. Nice swirly look made mostly by splattering wet on wet.

Will post her again after I lift the spillover on her body. Have to let it dry first.

Highlights mostly lifted out now.

My favorite bit. Andrews turquoise and yellow ochre stripes. Or was it burnt sienna

Margaret watching the Super Tuesday returns. Xoxoxo

Life modeling at USC Aiken

February 27, 2020Leave a comment

After my Saturday disaster I really didn’t want to make the drive to Aiken but I got a nice painting so am glad I did.

First break. Funny how washed out she looks.

So how did I paint her?? The big question I got yesterday.

Most of the painting was done with a two inch flat black velvet. Finishing with my 10 Charles Reid da Vinci.

First up a wash of quin gold all over her. It just gives a nice glow to African Americans.

Then I judiciously started adding burnt sienna and burnt umber for shadows. A swish of cad orange on highlights on her back. Piling on Andrews turquoise as well as a small dab of ultramarine toward the end for shadows and cad red light on the highlights – ears, the tip of the nose and on the elbow.

The hair is burnt umber and ultramarine. Not sure why I left the divot on top of her head but will fix that sooner or later.

The cloth she is sitting on is burnt sienna and cad red light.

Margaret relieved she can still draw after Saturday.

Every Once in A While I amaze myself.

February 25, 2020February 25, 20202 Comments

Gypsy got in the Transparent Watercolor Show which is a National Show in Kenosha Wisconsin in June. Who cares if she wins?? Feel like I won the lottery with her just getting into the show. So excited got zero sleep last night.

The show is ranked with The American Watercolor Show and the National Watercolor Show.

The difference in the shows in TWS your painting has to be all transparent watercolor. Lots of things disqualify it. Too much pencil. Gouache. Not lifting all the masking fluid. All these things don’t disqualify you from the other two shows.

If the judges Kathleen Conover and Herman Pikel decide I get one of those nice juicy checks I will be heading to Wisconsin don’t you know. Lol.

I actually had to look on the map last nite to see where Kenosha was. Due north of Chicago. Should be lovely in June. We shall see.

Margaret whose in charge of book club tonite. Eeekk Xoxoxox

Spent quite a while

February 20, 2020Leave a comment

messing around with the background. Adding layers and letting them dry adding more layers. Splattering. Wiping out the splatters and on and on.

I also tried to emphasize the top to distract from the right foot. Now she’s going to sit around a while and tell me if she’s done. Maybe ?!

Background is Andrews turquoise alizarin yellow ochre and mineral violet. Oh and a smidge of cobalt. Layers and layers and layers – all watery and transparent.

This is an art quilt I did a few years ago. Hmm 12 years or so ago! 😳

And here’s a close up. All fabric and thread painting except the drawing which is oil pastel. Thread painting is done by using thread on a machine like a colored pencil. Lots and lots of stitches.

Margaret on the second foot of a pair of snarky red socks. Temps going down so want to finish it ASAP to wear. Nite nite. Xoxoxoxo

Sketching in the rain

February 19, 2020February 19, 2020Leave a comment

For some reason the power company decided to recalibrate our electricity today so I got up at the crack of dawn and fled the house or my car would have been Moored in the garage. Inner Bean was my friend all this am – a warm cozy haven on a wet drizzly miserable day.

Hot tea was moi this am.

Namike Fude pen Noodler eelskin Ink

Margaret about ready for bed and it’s still raining. Xoxoxox

Its Saturday

February 15, 2020Leave a comment

Aslyn So far. 15×22″ cold press Fluid

Needs a background which will set off the face and right shoulder. Maybe a dark blue?!

Annoyed I didn’t draw her 1/2″ to the right so I could have gotten her whole right foot in.

The drawing at forty minutes.

Second break.

An hour and a half of painting.

Colors used. Quin gold raw sienna cad red light burnt sienna Andrews turquoise. Alizarin burnt sienna and mineral violet for shadows. Hair burnt umber and ultramarine

Charcoal Coach Larry

Al Beyer oil. Funny story. I thought he was painting a skeleton at first glance. All the stripes in the blanket. Duh.

Acrylic Drew Murphy

Fredlianis mondrian. 🤗

Eve!😳🤗

Bill oil on metal panel

Margaret whose going to stare at Ashlyn a while til she tells me how to finish her. Aka tired from a very busy 24 hours. Xoxoxo

WIP

February 13, 2020February 13, 2020Leave a comment

Or perhaps nearing completion. Having fun doing these tiny journal pages which incidentally seem to take as long as an 8×10″ spread.

Watercolor pencils pitt pen Lamy pen Ef and safari

Margaret done for the night xoxoxo

It’s Saturday

February 10, 2020February 10, 20202 Comments

After lifemodeling at noon.

Already changing her.

So far right now. Ilaina and I continue our torture. 🤣. Think this one is the best so far though her face is a little to red and the grey stripe on the left needs to be lifted.

The drawing at first break. Her face was still not right. And the right hand too narrow.

Second break. Before her face got too red. Sigh.

On the whole I like her But check back tomorrow for minor changes.

My favorite bit of the painting. Almost abstract.

Colors used cad red light cad yellow light cad orange alizarin cobalt Cheap Joes Andrews turquoise and mineral violet. Hair ultramarine and burnt umber but needs to go darker.

Greys burnt sienna cobalt and/or ultramarine and burnt umber.

140# Fluid cold press paper

Drew Murphy acrylic

Al Byre oil

Eve Crit charcoal

Fredliani as I have nicknamed him or Fred as everybody calls him. Rather like the wild colors in this one. Fredlianis letting his fauvism show. He’s even messed up his palette. Usually it’s surgically neat and orderly.

Ruth Pearls photo of a daff in the snow in Chickamauga Ga today.

Margaret xoxoxo

Having fun

February 10, 2020Leave a comment

Filling my tiny stillman and birn with memory pages. They are starting to add up. True story of a tiny mouse yesterday. It might have been two inches long.

The guys were just standing there looking at it seemingly afraid of it.

I took the broom from Fred and told him to put the dustpan down on the floor and swept it up.

Appropriately painted with my tiny whiskey painters box with a basic winsor newton set of paints that I bought years ago. The expensive plastic box broke soon after purchase but the paint endures.