The view from our lunch table at Taqueria de Sol on W Ponce yesterday. Thought my fingers were going to freeze off.
My favorite hamburger joint the original Farmburgers and Chai Pani Indian Street food the home of blistered tongues from their hot food. Give me a farmburger please. Sooo good.
Stillman and Birn Alpha and Micro univalve. Meant to post yesterday but was too busy watching the election returns. Swore I wouldn’t but oh well. Now I needs a nap.
Margaret still listening on NPR. Xoxoxo
Flew off to Assisi Italy today with Vlad Yesileyev on his paint along. So far. Leaning toward this is DONE but might change my mind in the am.
The photo
The value sketch by Vlad Yesilev. I am bad. I don’t look at the shades. Rather look at the painting.
First wash.
I use a muffin Pan to mix the first wash-yellow ochre cobalt and alizarin – in so I can save it for the next painting instead of tossing. I do have to stir it up before use because the color settles. 
Moving along flowers started.
Same colors as first wash and burnt umber dioxzine and Andrew’s turquoise.
Well underway almost done. I forgot to take photos. Oops. We added indigo mixed w cobalt to our colors. Should have had two windows but I messed up. So I have three up top. Another oops.
I decided I needed to fix the top of the left door. It was NOT aim perspective.
So now I am done. 
Pot kitties fed. Chicken pot pie in the oven. Time to put my feet up and snuggle Zoe for a while.
Margaret xoxoxox
Another wild paint along with Vlad. Can’t wait for the next one Sunday. Painting boats. Love boat paintings
10×15″ Kilimanjaro 300#. I decided to use Kilimanjaro to see if it scraped like the nasty arches did.
The Arches scrapes great to do leaves, branches or grass. Maybe it will scrape for boat lines. Or I can use my dads antique arches that’s probably 20 years old. I know it scrapes great.
The photo. Kind of a nothing photo don’t you think except nice sunny light, umbrellas and a beautiful old building.
The value sketch
First wash- the water stage
Colors growing. Aka more first wash. Umbrellas really orange but odd it looks so red in this photo.
The second darker washes more pigment. The tea stage.
The last layers. Lots of milk. Aka thicker paint. I think mine moving be too thick.
And the way it is now. Kinda wishing I had not added the Browns and the grey trees on the left. Sometimes I get up in the morning and like them a lot better. We shall see right?!
Had fun drawing all over it with my white gel pen zip zip and always solid unlike white gouache.
Margaret ready for bed but has to watch one more episode of Schitts creek-my current binge. Soooo funny on Netflix’s. Watch more than one before you pass judgement. Xoxoxox
Today’s painting. Mellow Mushroom On Broad St. – FOR SALE 10×15” watercolor
Might be done. We shall see. Course I say that all the time so could be I will change it by this time tomorrow.
I started it a few weeks ago. So glad I can scratch it off my to do list. I should always have an espresso in the am. Get so much more done. House squeaky clean and a new painting. Not bad for one days work. 
I also worked on Dubrovnik some more. Tried to take some of the purple put of the wall. And wipes out some color on the right. I might need to wipe out some more. Who knows. It ak be done when it’s done right?! Lifted the handle of the par with some tape and a sea sponge.
Wipes out the signs dark shadow with the tape sponge trick and the black shadow under the truck.
Those two black shadows under the truck and around the sign screamed look at me. As did that white shirt on the girl in the foreground that had to go too.
Margaret contentedly tired but who needs to do her Powerplate xoxoxo
Finally got around to the last page in my sketchbook. Been sitting on the table w all the junk to get around to it. No idea why I haven’t been. 
I do intend to draw this blue jay but wanted to do that in my new sketchbook not last page in the old one. Another 90 plus pages done. Didn’t want to stick this blue boy on the last one. I do think jays are so pretty. I have been hand feeding them all week. They won’t go to the feeder. Instead they eat off the porch rails. Three of them show up every day to check the offerings. 
This might be done now BUT I couldn’t get my saber brush to work today – odd since it worked fine to do the electric lines yesterday. So I may need to do that or not.
Bakes two loves of my favorite back of the King Arthur bread bag bread today. 
One sliced and in the freezer the other on its way as soon as it’s cool. Shouldn’t be making white bread but it’s sooo good. My grandson Henry asked me to mail him some. I would if it would get there fresh but it won’t.
Margaret xoxoxo ready to knit. That scarf might be done by Christmas as this rate.
Vlad is back feeling better after his brief encounter with Covid. Thank goodness he’s better. Wear your masks people!!
Tomorrow we are painting the Royal Opera Cafe in Paris. Who doesn’t love Paris?!! You can sign up here. This is Vlad’s painting.
At this point. I think I am done though I may work on the crosswalk some. No idea how I got it so wonky but I did. Also think the people looks like the walking dead all coming for us. Rofl
Otherwise love it. Finally discovered how to make trees have a lacy edge. Miracles do happen. You just need a VERY dry brush. And that might be my favorite sky I have ever done.
First wash. Kind of like the white cloud behind the church spires.
Heading down the road. I think this was wet when I took the pic. It dried a lot lighter.
Anyway it’s a wrap. Just needs a siggie.
Margaret whose allergies have been beserck. Xoxoxo kerchooo
Mushroom on Broad Street. 11×15″ 300# Fabriano rough.
Why is it when I finish these I usually don’t like them. 😫😫😫This one is no exception. 
The photo. A little dark to start with. Took forever to draw because I added all those people. 
First washes with lots left to do.
Margaret who needs a nap now. Don’t know why these make me Tahred. Xoxoxox
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.
Stops around here. Took another class with Vlad. 
Maybe I will like this better tomorrow.
Vlads. Better pic on Fb tomorrow.
For some reason I seem determined to cross every t and dot every eye though I have known from freshman art that’s a no no.
My value study.
Loved his explanations that surround it.
First wash now that it’s been thinned out. 
is Vlads.
15×22″ rough press 300 lb Fabriano
Painted this today in an online class with Vlad Yesilesev. Vlad is Russian from Moscow and has the most fabulous accent. The man is so knowledgeable with an MFA in art. Paints as fast as lightning. He taught everything from how to do a value sketch then draw it to the actual painting of it. Can’t wait for Saturday.
Will take another on Saturday. A lot of fun once the people in class figured out how to work zoom. Quite reasonable at $19. I was going to take his class at Olmsted Pleine Air in Atlanta next week but that’s not happening. This is far cheaper. Course no individual attention because he can’t see us painting but heck who cares. 
We did a value sketch and painted from it not the photo.
The photo
First wash. I think mine was a little dark.
Trees coming along. ALOT of dry brushing.
Grass added. And the shadow in the road.
Oh my buildings painted. He just whizzes along. Next time doing a quarter sheet- that’s 10×15″.
His painting. Sooo much better than mine.
Getting done. Has too much fun painting the tree with my Vlad saber brush. Way too much. Should have stopped earlier.
Then I blurred it out and thought why not add some spring green leaves popping out. U do it with one of the Escoda perlas held sideways. There was a lot of dry brushing in this painting. Most of it. Lol.
Next time I will have the drawing down a head of time and I will find my 140 # rough Fabriano. Hmm maybe order some 90# rough which is what Vlad uses for these demos.
And I drew Zoe earlier during sbsdrawingparty with Danny on YouTube at noon. It was draw something from nature after a chat with Tommy Kane- a fascinating man. Zoe’s neck is too long because she got annoyed, turned her back on me, and went to sleep.
Lamy Safari Stillman and Birn Alpha.
I need to paint the background but Vlad wore me out. Three hours of painting as fast as I could.
Oh and I cooked dinner. Japanese’s sweet potato sushi salad with sticky rice and nori.
Margaret ready for bed. Xoxoxoxo
