Category: Still life

Day 2072 The Four Heavenly Kings

2 Comments

Fell in love with these when I went to the Columbia Museum of Art last time. Today I returned to draw some of the statues and have one last look at the Pollock. It was 8×20’😳. Sadly it was gone but these cuties were still there part of the permanent collection right next to a gorgeous Botticelli. Do you think they would notice if I borrowed one for a while??! Too bad an art museum doesn’t lend art to their visitors like a library lends books.

While I am not a big fan of Renaissance art it’s hard not to appreciate this gorgeous painting which is about 4×5′ or so right next to the Lokapala.

I don’t know why but I just find these two guys charming. I am sure they were not meant to be charming but scary.

Bytw I drew two more figures before these. It was the fourth figure on the right before I started drawing well. I have a sketchbook full of Buddhas and saints now and a couple of Soda City street drawings. Now to get them painted.

I have to say the Columbia Art Museum was a lovely cool respite from the muggy 100 degree day outside at Soda City. You could have told me the queen of England was outside and I would not have left the cool museum.

Bytw the museum is only $5 on Saturday while Soda City is open (9-1pm).

Margaret ready for her cool comfy bed. Xoxoxoxo

Day 2067 Mother’s Day rerun

5 Comments

Finally painted this. The hahnemuhle paper was a trial. Couldn’t lift any of the alizarin which is a staining color. I should have fished out my other pink for a change of color. Oh well. It’s just in the sketchbook.

Earlier. Mike reminded me to loose some edges Which I did try to do. Not easy on the hahnemuhle paper.

I think that’s why I need a Charles Reid class every year. A refresher class. Lol.

Guess this year will have to make do with the video since he’s only teaching three times a year now. 😢

The sketch.

Maybe a do over in real watercolor paper. What do you think??!

Margaret Xoxoxox

Day 2064 one of those days

4 Comments

I was going to paint but NO. Not to be I did get an entry into the SC Watermedia Show.

Waiting was the winner. Course I entered this copy.

I had a few other choices. Hmm

Abt 20!!

I meant to enter the Ferrier and forgot by the time I actually got logged in and password right.

Margaret who was out to lunch and never published this one. Xoxox

Day 2065 Another cheer up

Leave a comment

She may need something still. Off to another friends house who definitely needs a cheer up.

Kilimanjaro Cp 140 # Dewey inktense pencils and watercolor

Margaret whose gotta watch Big Bang. Last show. 😢😢😢xoxoxo

Day 2054

1 Comment

Stones at Parafugel Spain on the Mediterranean. Did I go?! NOPE from a photo of Vlads. I didn’t even like the photo just couldn’t make up my mind what I wanted to paint that I had a photo of. Sketch on 140 lb cp rough Fabriano.

Sky wash. Cerulean w a dab of MIXED neutral tint. NOT about a tube of neutral tint but a mix of burnt sienna indigo and dioxzine purple.

I blotted the clouds w Kleenex and dabbed in some of the neutral tint for shadows.

Warm wash over all the rocks.

Moving along with step 2- 50 color/50 water. Really hate it. Especially rocks in middle foreground.

And here’s how I left it. Green tree in background IS distracting guess I will fogk it up. Rofl. Manana.

Margaret ready for bed. Xoxoxox Up early in search of THE photo.

Day 2054 Strancone, Italy done!!! Onward!!!

2 Comments

At least for the monenbt. You never know. It’s subject to change right?! Until it’s framed.

At the end of class. Pallet colors same as Vld said to use. Mostly neutral tint cad red light cad yellow and cobalt today.

Thinking tomorrow or Thursday will try the beach scene we did the sepia sketch of. Lost my focal point but I can fix it in the final one. Should have been in the middle.

Like this one. Sigh.

Think I will draw the scene while I listen to tv. Lol. Can’t watch and draw right.

Spent half the day looking for paint. How can I be out of cobalt van dyke brown AND dioxzine purple. This method of painting uses shovel loads of paint. Need to buy the BIG tubes not the 16″5 oz. shoulda added to my Blick order. Sigh.

I ordered these during class Sunday and here they are already.

I did get a set of Escoda perla brushes from amazon because I could NOT get my black velvets to dry brush. They split.

Escoda perla 8,10,12 from top to bottom

If the perlas are good enough for Vlad, Iain Stewart and Joseph Zbukiv they are good enough for me. Suppose to make great calligraphic marks as well as do sweeping dry brush effects. Not a bad deal $30 for and 8 10 and a 12 travel brush Escoda perla Joseph Zbukiv Brand.

Homework from class. I couldn’t stand the tension of watching the battle this week in Game of Thrones. Eyes on paper. Eeekkk. Glad that episode is over.

Line practice

More homework from class. Supposedly if u draw two dots keep your pencil on left for eye on right dot you should get straight lines. Thinking not something to do during game of thrones or after four cups of high caffeine tea. Lol.

Margaret who has to make her clean bed first before she draws the scene so I can practice trees with my new brushes. Bet they will work on rocks too. Xoxoxo

Day 1742 Inktober

Leave a comment

I have been doing inktober aka 31 ink sketches. Question is do you make it to the finish line of one ink drawing a day?!!!

I threw one of those strips in my purse before I went to Costco. Sat down at the restaurant area and put my satchel purse up on the table to hide behind. Parking yourself somewhere with a good site line to streams of people is always a good idea when doing these.

Started drawing with my Namiki Fude pen-love it’s thick thin lines. I tried to finish it at Lowe’s today BUT huge trucks thought they needed to be close to the door and blocked my view. 🤨

Pretty soon I had a whole strip done. I ended up at the Walmart grocery store because they always have a good flow of people going in and out.

Be brave and go to Costco or sams and draw the herds of people that walk by. Lotsa fun.

Margaret xoxoxox hanging out with a friend who is heading back to Charleston tomorrow.

Day 1699 Headache😱

Leave a comment

15×22″ on Fluid watercolor paper. Planned to paint this sketch I did yesterday but if a headache and decided to take it easy. Aka didn’t get back around to it but did enjoy Anne with an E on Netflix’s. Oh and Guernsey Potato Pie And Literature Society and Chocolat. Two great movies an old fav and a new fav.

Bytw discovered a great source for fluid paper on amazon. Got a six pack of full sheet 22×30″ 140# cold press for $26 or $28. I like the paper because it dries flat. Doesn’t form hollows while it’s wet like some 140 lb will and it’s easy to wipe the paint off if needed. Just dampen blot with a Kleenex and lift and repeat. No harm no foul.

And a blue jay newcomer on the back deck when I threw out black sunflower seed. He seemed to really enjoy it. Watercolor pencils in my stillman and birn.

I should have been watching some of the great YouTube videos by Proko. Everything you want to know about portraiture and figure drawing. Check them out!!

Margaret whose headache is gone. Xoxoxo

Day 1695 Summer Snow WIP?!!

3 Comments

Summer Snow – Fluid 140# cp paper 15×22″

Sorry for the late post. Been working on this when I wasn’t busy walking 🚶‍♀️ 🚶 🤗!! My feet are tired.

What I started off drawing.

I drew it with a 2 B Derwent sketching pencil. Very soft. Before I started painting I erased it to lighten the pencil marks.

Here we go. Decided the background was too light.

Kind of wish I had left it.

But I thought the background was too close in tone to the flowers. No idea why I thought that but I did. So I darkened it. Hmmm. Well those flowers really show now. And they look cut out. Not a good thing in a paintjng. Oopsey.

Lots left to paint on this half sheet.

Heading toward THE END! I was getting tired and probably should have stopped.

But I kept on. Now you might notice the flowers don’t look so cut out now. That’s because my friend Mike suggested I use a Mr Clean eraser on the flower edges to soften them. THANKS Ms. Mike!! That helped.

Now the question of the hour is more splatter or not on the flowers especially the ones on the right side. I think I will sleep on it. Have to work fast because those crepe myrtles don’t last long.

Charles Reid Holbein colors plus quin gold.

Margaret putting her feet up with the tv clicker in her hand. Xoxoxo

Summer Snow WIP!! #stillmanandbirn #savannah #georgia #watercolor #art #painting #artist #painter #aquarelle #atlanta #painter #aquarelle #lifestyleblogger #lifestylechange #drawing #sketching #travel #charlesreid