Category: Arts in the Heart

Jessica’s Pink Tower

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My friend Jessica lives on the Savannah River downtown in the Pink Tower. The views are astonishing from high up in the building.

Zoe and I went urban sketching today when I had to go downtown to pick up the Gypsy. It was a gorgeous day. But crazy people were out in Broad Street eating and parading up the street – not keeping their distance. Scary!! Stillman and birn Zeta sepia F Pitt pen. Fealing Lin palette Colors

Margaret ready to relax. So far I drew quite a bit. Ran two errands with zero human contact. Made two batches of snicker doodles. Cooked more veggies for the leftover adorned beef. Oh and made a fb group page. No wonder I am tired scrub scrub scrub. I even bleached my Bernina after I picked it up from the shop. 😳😂

Xoxoxox

One must

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Remember to try to post when one can. At Bees Knees in augusta full of their delicious avocado chop chop heading to the Nutcracker in a few minutes. Let the holidays commence.

A sketch I did of Jerry Nadler during the hearings. I would have posted yesterday but I tried to cut my finger off with my new Costco extra sharp knives. The guys at Costco said I need a steel glove. They could be right. First two times were knicks. This one could have taken my left index finger off.

Today I did zero but try not to hit my finger while I knitted a hat for my newest grandson. Not easy to knit when one index finger is out of commission.

Back to Jerry N. I couldn’t listen to the next guy. Made me ill so I left. Maybe I will draw more of them later?! I did think the Constitutional lawyers were quite interesting but some of those congressmen- well I couldn’t care less if I ever saw some of them again anywhere.

Margaret nursing her finger. Xoxox

Hogfish Grill time

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When in Key West a trip to Hogfish Grill for some Hogfish is ReQuIrED!! Yummm.

I no longer can count the meals of delicious hogfish I have eaten dockside at Hogfish Grill on Stock Island right before you drive onto the island of Key West.

It’s the island that they used to keep stock on because Key West has no room. The two islands are separated by a small channel that old timers used to swim the stock across in the days before the bridges.

This is the marina along side the dock. Think it’s called Peace Marina. On the other side of Hog Fish Grill is Gate harbor that American forces used to launch the Bay of Pigs Invasion of Cuba back in the 60s. As small as it is there are two armed force bases on Key West – navy and coast guard.

There’s a manatee in the water. Can you find it.

Back to the news. The gift that keeps giving. Margaret xoxoxox

Day 2129 Last of the Rock Star

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George. This guy was gorgeous in a black leather jacket. Did not do him justice.

Buddy Holly. Hmm they must have just done famous rock n rollers because I know he was long gone by the 80s.

Loved this girl but no idea who she was either.

Something about this one I really love. Same girls as last sketch. Because they only remained in one spot five minutes or less while continually changing poses they are all quite a challenge to draw. Ten or twelve models rotate through what was the sanctuary.

Wet Paint is always fun.

Guess I am heading home now. See ya manana. Margaret. Xoxoxo

Day 2128 More Wet Paint

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The models were dressed as 80 s rock stars. Did I say that yesterday???

Think this is Elvis. But wasn’t he dead in the 80s?? So who could it be dear reader.

Last but not least Michael Jackson in his trademark red jacket that my oldest really wanted one of to wear when he moon walked all over the house. Really needs his jacket painted.

Margaret hugging grandkids and off to Cats. Excitement!! Xoxoxo

Day 2127 Wet Paint

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Discovered a bunch of quick sketches I did at wet paint a year or so ago when I pulled out what I thought was a new sketchbook.

A bunch of models were dressed as different rock stars and would hold poses for a minute or two on plinths through out Sacred Heart. They always scream draw me draw me.

Not sure who she was. Cindi Lauper perhaps?!

Lamy stillman and birn Zeta. These really needs some hits of paint.

Margaret off to Atlanta again. One more summer birthday and Cats at the Fox Theater. Xoxoxo

Day 2113 My Degas

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I drew this the first time the first trip I made to the High Museum to see the European Masters. What a show!! Can’t rave about it enough.

This was his original. About 5×7 feet. Mine is tiny in my Stillman and Birn Zeta which is 6 x 9 1/2″.

The orange is cad yellow and cad red light.

Brown is sepia which I roughly brushed With the side of my Escoda pearl brush while the orange was still wet.

Blue skirts are cerulean.

Outlining sepia done with my Vlad sword brush.

Flesh same as the background different proportions.

Hair sepia and cad red light.

Margaret ready for bed but having to stay up till her experimental blueberry orange pound cake cools wondering WHY my blueberries didn’t mix in like they should. Most ended up on the bottom of the pan though I coated them and folded them in to the cake. 🤔🤔🤔☹️xoxoxo

Day 2106 In Memoriam

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Of our dear friend and fabulous artist Rachel Miller who left this earth Sunday far too early. A sketch of her as our model at Dr Sketchys. Her she is as Marian the librarian. One of the founding members and first director of the Augusta Burlesque group Dirty South.

Rachel was a talented linguist with NSA fluently speaking multiple languages including French Libyan Somali and three others. Do you know to be an NSA linguist you have to be able to be fluent in a new language within six weeks! She was brilliant. She was retired Air Force, a gourmet cook and caterer, terrific watercolor artist, a twin, and above all beloved mother and wife. Those are just a few of her many talents.

She was a bright star in our lives and will be greatly missed by her legions of friends too. 

My fast take on Rachel as Marian the Librarian. Probably a five minute sketch.

And here we are jamming it up at one of the Doctor Sketchys. The lovely Ilaina short me and outrageously fun Rachel.

Her memorial is tomorrow at 6.

from her husband Frank.

A memorial stop-on-by, share-your-Rachel-moment service for my wife Rachel M Miller will be held Wednesday, 3 July, starting at 6PM. Because some friends are still flying in, it will probably go beyond 8PM. It will be held at River Place Condominiums in the clubhouse. This is where her sister Jessica Yu lives and where we’ve had some memorable parties. There is no dress code so come as you are. Some are bringing food, some their own liquor to toast her, others want to share some of her paintings, but I’m sure all have a story.

There are two guest-access parking levels at River Place Condos. There’s also some parking lots nearby open to the public after hours.

Her candle burned at both ends it will not last the night but ah my friends she cast a lovely light. – My rewrite of The Edna St Vincent Millay poem.

Margaret Xoxoxoxo

Day 1220 1300 Followers 🤗👍🏻& 100 Augusta Landmarks aka urban sketching

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Thanks to all my followers the new the old and the recent. I am so tickled and grateful.

Trying to get ready for masters week which means lots of sales at Art on Broad. The visitors love Augusta landmarks. I am sure there are 100 of them if I look and talk to my friend Robbie Harrell.

The Cotton Exchange 300lb 11×15″

I never can leave well enough alone. Should have stopped here I think. Now I have to do something to it.

I think I am going to have to paint the tree on the left. I will splatter it first then see.

I also drew it in my sketchbook.

Since I filled the page it didnt leave that big blank spot on the left. I can crop it out still. Probably the easy way out.

Colors used cobalt blue for shadows and windows w burnt sienna and quin sienna. Building is cad red burnt sienna and alizarin and a touch of cobalt. Roof is DS green from Kim’s class and cerulean. Sky cerulean.

Cropped.

Cotton Exchange story. At one time more cotton was sold around the world from this building than another place except the cotton exchange in I think Savannah. Cotton lined Reynolds street stacked 6 8 feet high for blocks in the early 1900s. And the warehouses surrounding it were full of more cotton that was shipped by train and down the Savannah River.

Did a lot of urban sketching yesterday since the sunlight was gorgeous.

St Paul’s Dome a block farther down the street. Holy Trinity I

Holy Trinity II

After I drew the first one I realized it would make a great double long spread. That said the sky will be gouache when I get done.

Maybe I will get these painted sometime soon. Gouache required for the messed up skies.

My new BFF I am calling Dot. An alpaca that lives in a field about a mile from my house. I finally took pics of him yesterday on my way home when I noticed he was near the fence. So cute. Now I want one.

Hoping I don’t kill all his pretty wispy curls.

Margaret off to shower and dress. Company coming. Xoxoxox

. #augusta #augustlandmarks #urbansketching #ink #usk #watercolor #aquarelle #stillmanandbirn #artonbroad #thecottonexchange #cottonexchange #dailydrawing #sketching

Day 1206 Wet Paint Party

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12×16″

Tonite Feb 24 at Sacred Heart. My sketch as well as 70 other pieces of art will be up at silent auction for adoption to decorate your walls with some fabulous art. There will be some wild fun entertainment engineered by Vintage Oolie. Always interesting. All money raised goes to the Augusta Arts Council.

I was trying to keep the sketch light and loose. I meant to take a photo of the ink drawing which was not exact just close. Loosening up as Bob Burridge would say. I was also trying to keep it transparent.

I really loathe painting trees with watercolor and it always seems to show. I had to work on them a lot to get them right. Multiple Layers.

SKY – blotted the washes as I laid them down to get cloud. Used cerulean blue and some verditer blue.

Building – quin coral quin gold with dioxzine purple and cobalt blue with some cerulean and quin burnt orange for the greys.

Trees – quin gold, Daniel Smith gold green, cobalt, ultramarine blue, dioxzine purple and mineral violet.

Come on out. Always a fun event.

Margaret xoxoxox