Day 79 – Venice

June 3, 2020June 3, 20202 Comments

The Grand Canal Venice. All this travel is wearing me out. Aka and now I am Tahred.

Off to the races aka paintalong with Vlad Yesilesev today . I was rotten. I didn’t do the value sketch because I was drawing this largish painting. 15×15. Rough press Fabriano.

The photo.

First wash. Whew that was exhausting but I like it so far.

Vlad has us screen shot his value sketch so I had it anyway.

And then we were almost done. Zip zap. I lifted some of the water. It was getting to dark.

Here’s how it looks now but I still need to work on the buildings on the right. Too tired to care right now.

Worked on this a bit. Darkened the walls.

Here’s what it looked like. It still needs a couple more things but mostly done.

This is the next paint a long with Vlad Yesilesev. I wish I could make it but in Atlanta for a birthday. The big first one for my sweet grandson David. Can’t wait. And I have a very similar photo I took in Bayeux France so really wish I could make this one. Poop.

Yesterday’s baking and it was delicious.

Margaret ready for bed. Xoxox

Day 72 Italia

May 25, 2020May 19, 20218 Comments

Probably my least favorite painting I have done with the Vlad Yesilesev on his paintalongs. The top part looks great but don’t like all the brown on the very dull steps. Maybe I will wipe them out tomorrow and try again. Or maybe I won’t. Easier sometimes to just have a do over. Too many muddy colors on the bottom. Right now I am blaming the new Lukas paints I bought but Vlad doesn’t get them when he uses them so hmm. Read they have a lot of white added to them and that kind of color will mud easily.

Anyway back to my knitting. My mile long scarf is growing. Just what one needs in summer right?! Oh well as they say winter is coming.

Calling this the body blanket. Might just sleep on the sofa under it since I am too tired to move right now. Knitted most of this since Friday or is it Thursday?! I am a mad knitter.

Margaret xoxoxo who thinks she needs a break out. Oh and I have already signed up for two more paint alongs so a good crash and burn won’t keep me down.

Day71 – Pepe’s Key West’s Oldest Eating Establishment

May 23, 20204 Comments

This started out to be a palm tree practice then bougainvillea and flame tree and gradually I added buildings, Pepe’s, a rooster, people, and a bike or two. The essence of the big more formal painting I that I started Wednesday.

I think it’s done. I rather like the Arches 140 lb rough paper it’s painted on but will have to use up my stack of Fabriano rough before I buy more. The paper behaved very well staying flat. Hurrah.

Back when the palms wet Transparent. I fixed that. 😫

I had to add the sky. What’s a Key West painting without the gorgeous tropical sky?!

Sky added but I decided the palms were too bright and fighting with the buildings which were the focal point.

Watching/Listening to 100 Foot Journey today Marguerite said this about her pots but it’s applicable to drawing and painting.

Good movie if you haven’t seen it.

Margaret ready for Father Brown. Xoxoxo

Day 70 National Show

May 23, 2020June 3, 20201 Comment

Loosing my mind entering but Gypsy arrived at the National Transparent Watercolor Show this week. Still can’t believe she got in. Summertime got in the South Carolina Watermedia Show and thanks to my friend Colettes reminder I entered it in the National Watercolor Show. Cross all your fingers and toes it gets in and that Gypsy wins a big juicy prize.

Makes me wish I had finished this one today. Pepe’s the oldest eating establishment in Key West but sinuses were feeling stuffed up so nursed them and binges some tv shows today. Already working on a headache is not conducive to painting under stress especially palm trees which are always tough.

Edie on Amazon. LOVED it. Now watching Silent Witness. Only 18 episodes to go on Brit Box. 🤗

Also watched Inferno on AMC about some nuts releasing a pandemic to thin the earths population with Tom Hanks riding into the rescue. The Dan Brown spin offs always are wonderful for watching major art hot spots in Europe vicariously like Florence in Inferno.

Margaret is still feeling a little stuffed up. Xoxoxox

Day 69 Havana

May 21, 2020May 19, 2021Leave a comment

Might be my favorite to date. Coming off the watercolor board soon.Paint along with Vladislav Yesileyev.

The photo. A wet day in Havana.

My sketch on 300 lb rough Fabriano

First wash with very watery yellow ochre alizarin crimson cobalt blue and a dab of cobalt teal.

Trying to fix my street. Was too choppy. Aka wipe it out with tape and a sea sponge.

And done. I added a bit more yellow ochre and cad yellow on the sidewalk and lower edge of the building because it is so yellow.

At some point I decided I hated my painting so I had lots of fun playing with my Loosey goosey dagger brush from Cheap Joes. Love that brush. It makes all those thin thin lines.

Ps sign up for a paint along with Vlad Yesilesev.

Margaret ready to find some lunch or is it dinner time. Xoxoxo.

Day 66 Roofs of Rousillon

May 20, 2020May 19, 2021Leave a comment

Yesterday. LOTS of Problems. First was a headache. Painting with a headache is not ideal. Glad it’s gone.Paint along with Vladislav Yesileyev.

The value sketch. Wow that was tough all by itself. Looks like a bunch of jumble to me. And I was bad about not following it. Soo much to think about, do and learn during one of the paint along with Vlad Yesilesev. I will say he does a wonderful job. Patient Sharing kind. Endlessly answering the same questions with graciousness and interest and much patience from his students.

What more can you want in a teacher?!

The photo

The sketch. I got lost in the roof tops. So many jammed together. Didn’t even draw half the chimneys. Oops

First wash. You watch him paint and follow behind him.

Moving along second wash.

Rest of the second wash. Going to the dark side. Eek

Third later begun. Adding details. I should have stopped here. Too bad I didn’t.

maybe it was the headache that made me not like it?! Really not so bad is it?!

A better picture taken with my ipad. Odd it takes better photos than my much newer iPhone.

Heading to Spain to Palafuegel with Vlad Yesilesev. Still time to sign up. Might be the best $19 you will have ever spent.

Another paint along tomorrow. Highly recommend. Always fascinating. Tough but satisfying.

Storms rolling thru today. Lots of rain thank goodness. We need it.

Really love this one late this afternoon. Most recent one had a lot of thunder and lightening. Amazing to watch the bolts shoot out of the skies and a little scary especially when there are multiple strikes at the same time.

Margaret worn out from not a lot. Long walk with Zoe and clean up from TWO leaking sinks aka washing and tossing.

Xoxoxo

Day 67 Palafruggel

May 19, 2020May 19, 20214 Comments

Hmm maybe I will like it better tomorrow. Right now I am my own worst critic and want to change quite a few things but probably won’t. Too Tahred since I painted from ten-5 today. 🤪Paint along with Vladislav Yesileyev.

The photo. What a view!! On the Costa Brava in Spain.

My value sketch done last week on drawing class. Thank goodness. A bit of a break.

The sketch.

first wash.

Second wash underway.

Moving along. Dashing to the finish line.

And done. Well thinking of splattering the foreground. And may do something for the trees foliage after I think about it.

Margaret tired from paintings from 10-5. Repainted the Roofs of Rousillon before zoom took down the video.

Margaret Xoxoxox

Day 64 when u start talking

May 17, 20201 Comment

To an onion you know you have been alone too long. Told it I had drawn a really great picture of it before I copped it up for ratatouille. I even cried. Onions always make me cry when I cut them up. 🤣

Told you it needed paint.

Margaret watching As Time Goes By for the jillionth Time waiting for the bread to finish rising.

Day 63 A miscount

May 16, 2020May 16, 2020Leave a comment

Never was my forté. It’s day 63 not 62. Oh I drew with Vlad yesterday. Threw my count off. This needs paint. Not sure what color. I know it needs a background. Maybe I need to record my adventure at Lowe’s. I think everyone in Augusta was there. I have never seen so many people at Lowe’s as there were at this one Wednesday. But I like my jade tree. So healthy. Maybe I can keep it that way.

This one is done. Finally realized I had one more roof to paint – the small one to the right of the smaller red barn. Now I LOVE the painting. Odd what one roof can do.

Yesterday before I painted the third roof. It was still competing and distracting from the center of attention aka focal point the roof of the smaller barn. Now to sign in.

Margaret xoxoxo

Day 61 sometimes it

May 15, 2020May 19, 2021Leave a comment

Takes me a while to figure out what’s wrong w a painting. Did not like this one. Paint along with Vladislav Yesileyev

Till I darkened the roof on the right. It was competing with the focal point of the roof on the red barn. Oops. Think I still need to darken the smallest roof. But oh so much better now. A day or two of looking at it and bingo there was the answer.

Today I took a sketching class from Vlad which really was about how focus a painting using a value sketch. 32 of us showed up for 4 hours with the master Vlad. He has an MFA from St Petersburgs Art Institute in Russia. That’s a lot of art practice to get a degree.