Category: Still life

Fixing the train wreck

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The way she looked when I left life modeling today.

The way she looks now. I decided I had really messed her face up and decided to lift a half inch strip down her face as delineated by the pencil mark.

I used masking tape and a mr clean eraser.

The sketch


First break. At this point I was happy. Then down the rabbit hole. Sigh.

As many times as I have drawn Ilaina u would think it would be a piece of cake. NOPE.

No idea how I went so wrong. Still doesn’t look like her but she looks better.

I do really like her hands. Maybe I should just paint hands.

Margaret hanging it up for tonite.

Clean up

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Shortened her torso. Still looks off but she’s done. No more messing with her. It’s possible her torso is still a little too long but I don’t care enough to do anymore to her.

Great thing about watercolor paper is you can turn it over and use the back!

I also changed the background on this one. Thought it was too much blue of course now I think the dark background is too dark.

Color me never quite happy with my paintings especially life modeling ones.

Margaret off to to see 1917 in a bit.

It’s Saturday

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First break

Drew this view first but I really am not fond of a small figure in the middle of a large page. The figure turned out nicely but it’s almost as if a microscope is needed to see the figure in this drawing. So I moved to another more interesting angle that would fill up the page better.

This is what I ended up with. I only had an hour when I started so not bad for an hour. I should finish but probably won’t.

Her torso is a bit too long and what is with the left foot?!

Mostly painted with card red and yellow for flesh tones. Alizarin for darks or cobalt violet or a bit of Cheap Joes Andrews turquoise. Darkest darks cobalt and burnt sienna.

Black drape cobalt and burnt sienna. Yellow ochre and cobalt ok the lighter one.

Second break.

Drew Murphy who was to my right.

Al Beyer who was even further to my right.

And Fred’s. Gotta love this wild painting.

Henry

Gypsy

Then I was off to the framer to get Kristin to put these into frames I already had. Gypsy is off to a show in McCormick.

I also entered her in the National Transparent Watercolor Show. Wonder if she will get in. 🤔🤔🤔

Henry is going on a wall at my house unless my kids say pretty please for the painting.

Zoe

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I meant to paint all day today but NOPE I spent most of it on online chat trying to fix the image sizes on my site. Still not sure how it went astray but I think it’s fixed now.

I drew this sketch of Zoe this am in a tiny Stillman and Birn Alpha. With a regular lead pencil. Maybe I will draw her again tomorrow and fill the little book up. Just enough challenge for a daily drawing?!

I did think to paint her til I spent all day on the computer.

Then I spent a couple more hours photographing and sizing and entering an art show.

I entered Morning Joe

And Gypsy. Two of my favorites that I have painted recently.

So now I have actually done something to deserve a nap but first cooking some Chinese dumplings. Well maybe.

Hugs Margaret Xoxoxox

It’s Saturday

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And time to draw at Al’s salon!

Ilaina a work in progress and what a pain to draw accurately. Our poor girl was overly Tahred from working hard on a house she’s flipping so she has a good nap. As she fell asleep her head turned downward slowly. Oops.

Second break. The blanket is really grey but will probably go back and turn the background greyer since I rather like the blanket.

Coach Larry’s

Lots of foreshortened views today.

Eves

Drew Murphy’s

Catherine’s

Fred’s. Rather like this a lot. So abstract. Told him he needs to finish his and people would by them. My friend Alexis agrees with me.

Margaret who’s unreasonably tired.

xoxoxo

High time

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I posted.

Found these sweet clementines in my sons kitchen this am. Far too cute to eat attached to the leaves and each other.

If my bag of painted weren’t out in the car on a very rainy day in Atlanta I would paint these. Maybe tomorrow?!

I think I like it better with the lettering than without. What do you think ?!

Drawn with a uniball micropen in a handprint journal. High time I fill this book up and be on to the next one.

Margaret in rainy drippy squally Atlanta not looking forward to the drive home in the same weather. Also ruined all my plans for arts stores and other Atlanta fun. Time to replace my old ancient beloved London fog which is no longer waterprood.

Done well maybe

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Calling Henry done for now but may mess with his right eye some more. Going to look at him a whole and then decide.

Here he is like he was this morning when I started. I darkened just about everything.

Lifted a highlight or two like the one on his index finger. Added some fingernails. BYTW u add the line denoting the nail ABOVE THE FINGERNAIL not under the it. A little blush of cad red on the nail and you are done.

So what else did I lift. Some weird yellow ochre dots on the background that looked like I hit it with the brush accidentally. Always surprised how easy it is to lift on Fluid hot press. I think it’s easier to do on hot press than cold press.

Added the background wash on the left. It’s made up of Cheap Joes Andrews turquoise yellow ochre has mineral violet with maybe a little alizarin.

So I stayed up til 2 am knitting on this sock. I had to draw a pattern for it first. I know you are thrilled to know that. Calling it Jos sock for the polka dot socks Jo March had on in the latest version of Little Women. Gorgeous movie but NOT faithful to the book. After I watch it a few more dozen times I will I hope get over that like I did with Under the Tuscan Sun.

Margaret taking a nap before Book club. Do I have to go?!! Xoxoxox

Ends and Beginnings

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Quitting on her for now. Taken in direct sunlight today. I did fix her arm. Too much purple on her left arm but oh well. And still a bit to lift on top of her thigh or maybe some of my friend gouache.

Sunlight thru the window. She’s darker. Hmm.

and last nite while she was still wet under some pink lights. Hard to take photos when the paper is waving like that because she’s so wet.

Beginnings. Time to get a painting done for GWS. I don’t know why I procrastinate but this one needs a bit of study because the right hand is def off. So must be fixed before I paint it. And no clue what’s wrong with the hand. M

Margaret off to bake some banana bread muffins for a drop in tomorrow am. Xoxoxo

A Fine Fall Day

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In Graniteville SC. On a beautiful fall day after lifemodeling I discovered a miniature English gothic village when I turned down a street I had never been down curious to see what was there. The road parallels the main drag to Aiken thru Graniteville and you can’t see this church or all the charming cottages that surround it.

I liked it better as a drawing in Noodlers Brown ink. Oh well. I seem to be doing that a lot lately. Liking the pen sketches better.

This is the only pic i have of the drawing sadly. Oh well, right.

Inktense and watercolor pencils handprint journal Lamy EF now dried up and needing a refill.

Margaret who couldn’t stand to listen to the hearings today and only drew one head. Gave me a headache. Xoxoxo

Out the Window

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Oddly the gorgeous leaves disappeared almost over night after I drew this. A storm blew thru Decatur and then a stiff breeze. The leaves flew like snow in the air. Temps dropped rapidly.

We went from a gorgeous fall day to freezing cold 30s in less than 24 hours.

It was snowing in Chattanooga!!

Handprint journal watercolor pencils and a blue univalve pen because I didn’t want to get black ink on my daughter in laws new off white pottery barn sectional. 🤪🤪🤪

Margaret home again missing her grandkids. Xoxoxox