Category: Still life

Win some and lose some

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A sketch of Fealing Lin that I did in my handprint sketchbook in Boone last month.

A month ago already. 😪 I do LOVE Boone classes at Cheap Joes and hanging out with Mike Alan and Fealing. That equals a great week.

The painting. It could use a few more darks but quitting for now. After all it is in my sketchbook.

Today I decided to work on this train wreck painting of my dear granddaughter Livie.

I had tried to lift it out when I screwed it up with too much green but that’s easier said that done when it’s hot press.

All I can say is EEKKKK.

TOO dark. And all those odd shaped drips are where the paper is absorbing paint due to the loss of its surface when I was lifting.

As Fealing says I blame the paper for a bad painting. Cant possibly be moi!!

In this process I also lost the drawing. Can’t see it at all.

Good news is there’s another side of the paper Fabriano 300 # hot press. I can have a do over or just go with a new pic of her with better lighting aka shadows and highlights.

Margaret who just took Zoe on a long walk and is hot and tired. I thought we were getting the arctic chill this weekend but it’s almost 70 outside. 😳 Xoxoxox

It’s Saturday

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Ilaina hot press fluid paper 15×22″

What a gorgeous day today. And lots more fun going to life modeling in Aiken then a spot of urban sketching after in Graniteville. Discovered a whole street of about 20 Gothic cottages and a church. All different colors in a row like a planned community with a church gleaming in the autumn sun. Thought it could be a great place to go urban sketching or Plein air painting on a lovely autumn day.

My drawing. I actually drew her twice. First time just from waist up. So I flipped the board and redrew her because I wanted to include the lovely curve of her hip.

There went forty minutes!!😵

Second break. Going for it. Only have about an hour left to paint.

I managed to fiddle away the first two thirds and had to paint fast to finish. Still not pleased with her eye. But it’s done. Ilaina loves it so must be ok. Right?!

My friend Ruth said it looked like some delicious cotton candy.🤗

Flesh cad red light and cad yellow light. Lots of alizarin crimson for darks on her skin. Shadows of more alizarin Andrews turquoise and dioxzine purple

Hair ultramarine and burnt umber w a bit of burnt sienna for red.

Background Andrews turquoise French yellow ochre.

Margaret who walked Alie today and is not Tahred. Xoxoxo

David

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Went Portrait painting at USC Aiken today. What a great fun model to paint. Don’t u love his hair and his scruffy five o’clock shadow?!

Davis was painted in an hour and a half on cold press fluid15x22″.

Drew him in the first half hour session. I wish I had drawn him to include his hands til he started moving them around. Then I was glad I hadn’t. Models rarely reset their hands giving the painter much frustration.

Second break. Really moving along. Used my big size 14 Cheap Joes kolinsky sable.

Here he is again. Finished him off with my beloved size ten Charles Reid kolinsky sable from Cityart (Artexpress.com). Tell Randy I sent you. Truly a brush you will never regret you bought.

Darkened his hair. Love that brush. Lefties a few highlights on left cheek. Added a few more darks here and there. I could keep painting like get rid of the white around his ear but why bother.

Paint used. Alizarin for darks. Flesh alizarin cad red light and cad red light. Cheap Joes Andrews turq with Daniel Smith French ochre on background.

Shirt dioxzine purple and cobalt violet. The shadow on sleeve is pure dioxzine purple that I dipped my paint brush in and literally zig zagged down his arm.

Shadows alizarin Cheap Joes Andrews turq and dioxzine purple

Hair is Cheap Joes Andrews turq ultramarine and burnt sienna.

Margaret ready to put her feet up now.

Glamping on Daufuskie

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Hmm it may not post but I am not sure it will work since reception is intermittent twitch your nose on the back deck and you might have a message go through.

You could hardly say we were camping even though amenities are few and far on Daufuskie. No street lights no grocery store but the house we stayed in was fabulous. Probably nicer than any of our houses. It sits on a defunct golf course that has has financial difficulties since the recession. More about the house later. Just walked in the door from a trip to Decatur.

Margaret putting her feet up. Where’s the wine? Xoxoxox

Hmm well that was a pain. Only tried off and on for a week to post. Finally unsnarled it. So annoying. Will try to do better this week. Hugs!

That other candy store

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Is painted.

Fluid handprint journal. I had a lot of splatters on it from splattering trees. They wiped off. 😳

Now let’s see if the book dries flat. Did not like my last one but maybe they have improved?!

I used Fealing Lin’s palette colors but had to add Charles Reid’s fav chrome green and viridian as well as my fav Daniel Smith Green apatite. The hookers she uses is TOOO relentlessly green.

Cad red cad orange cad yellow burnt sienna and umber ultramarine American Journey turquoise. And a white pentel pen.

Margaret who has splatters everywhere. Even my phone and glasses. Xoxoxo

The other candy store

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We call Cheap Joes art supply next to the classroom the Candy Store but Mast General has an enormous candy store at each of their locations but in Valle Crucis it has its own building. Danger danger is all I can say!! And no parents don’t want grandma or auntie bringing candy Miss Mike!!

Drawn at the tables of the Ham shoppe across the street while we enjoyed one of the Ham Shoppes Yummy sandwiches potato salad and their amazing fudge. Yea I ate the whole thing. Burp!

Lamy Ef Noodler Eelskin Handprint journal watercolor to come.

Margaret heading out on the last leg of her trip home soon. Thank goodness it’s cooled off in Augusta. High of 79 today. Yeahhh. Xoxoxo

Live from Boone

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Xoxoxo

A few more parking lot chickens oops roosters from Key west Wildlife Rescue. Poor things having to live out their lives in a Parking lot. The big buff guy actually spurred the other ones. Meany.

Joe Miller aka Cheap Joe and Fealing Lin. I think he might be dressed as Van Gogh if he loved to be an old man. Joe is a Van Gogh authority and does a delightful one man show about Theo Van Gogh Vincent’s brother which he has performed all over the US including the National Museum of Art in DC and the Met in NYC.

Margaret having too much fun in Boone. Like coming home. Xoxox

From the Nose Bleed Seats

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At the Imperial Theater waiting for Ragtime to start – Key West Chicks!!

140# rough press Fabriano. Dries so nice and flat for Fabriano.

Margaret xoxoxo heading to Boone NC in the am for a week with Fealing Lin at Cheap Joes.

Another day another seascape

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One of our jokes is that if we sold enough of my paintings we could afford to live in a house boat year round in Key West. There are houseboats of every kind on any piece of water off Key West. Free mooring.

Personally I would want a yellow house boat to contrast with the blue water. 🤣

Of course after our near Miss with Dorian maybe we don’t want to live there year round. I think winter months could be enough. I don’t like the heat of August or the no see ums that chewed us up everyday.

Margaret xoxoxoxo

Eaton Street #1

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If you ever go to Key West you really should go to Coles Bakery on Eaton Street. Great food amazing deserts and breads. At least half the restaurants on Key West use Coles Bread. Delicious.

I drew the view out their windows at least three times and various houses in various arrangements. You can always suit yourself since you are in charge and draw one or two houses add people chickens cars and do it in the air conditioning while you enjoy those delicious lunch.

Stillman and birn Zeta uniball micro because I keep ruining clothes with my Lamy splatter is permanent ink. Sadddly. I do love my lamys but the uniballs are waterproof and a nice change. So annoyed I ruined a nice red and white striped linen shirt from LL Bean with my Lamy vista.

Funny story. A couple of guys were sitting at a high too between the scene and myself so I kept craning my neck to see around them. One guy actually thought I was drawing him. Came over to see how it was going. I did tell him I often did but today I was more interested outside the windows- a theme of mine in this miserable heat that keeps giving. Glad I am heading to the mountains later this week.

Margaret off to Goldfinch but glad she finally got painting. Only about thirty sketches to go. Eeekk. Xoxoxo