Day 2053 Day 3 w Vlad

April 30, 2019May 2, 20192 Comments

So tired after three days of painting all day and family parties every night I drove home two and a half hours and crashed. Vlads luminous painting of Strancone Umbria Italy Class yesterday was again wonderful. He stayed til the bitter end far longer than he was required. I think he left at 6 not long after I did.

Mine at the end of class. NOT finished. I got into trouble AGAIN. Groan. I did my shadow wash to the wrong line on the drawing. I thought the wire line was where it was supposed to stop. I was painting so fast doing the wash I didn’t notice. I was going to flip it over and start again or paint white gouache over the left side when Vlad said no. Got a sea sponge and taped off the left section and the arch and blotted off the errant wash. Now I have to go back and repaint the windows.

At least my first wash went well. Thank goodness for small miracles.

Vlads soupy washes

Finished day 2 painting. A little dark. I wish I had lifted it with a sponge. And I may redo or look try my paintings for one to do in similar style. Everybody loves it but it looks dark in comparison to yesterday.

Will post yesterday’s when I finish it – hopefully tomorrow.

Vlad at lunch still instructing.

Perhaps the most exciting sharing watercolor teacher I have had. Always on, always instructing. Goes the extra mile. When not demoing hes walking the room helping students several times a day. Shares EVERYTHING he knows. Only John Salimen can compare as a teacher. Then dear Charles who also shares everything he knows as does John.

Tells funny stories and his Russian accent is icing on the cake.

Vlad’s Strancone Italy on his website for sale. I do like his sunflooded version better than the one we painted in class.

One of his funniest told with his Russian accent is we Russians line up for everything. We don’t know what line is for but we get in line anyway.

A fog it up example from his website.

Another funny story. He was telling us how to a paint a landscape similar to this one. He said with his Russian accent u need to fogk it up. We were all dead silent eyes large thinking he said THAT word. He said you know Fogk it up. Aka FOG to up. We burst out laughing after that. Watercolor teachers do NOT run to cussing let alone that word.

He’s also kind and considerate in his critique of your work and thinking of tailor made suggestions to improve what you do. I HIGHLY recommend him. If you cant take one of his classees get his dvd. I am sure its as wonderful as he is. Mine is on its way. He ran out before he got to our class.

Vlads palette and brushes

Two of Vlads paintings that will be for sale at Olmsted Plein Air this weekend.

HIS Plein Air painting in Havana. Said it was full of wonderful crumbly buildings and old cars. But take plenty of paper towels. They don’t have them. 😳 And he ran out when he was there. Oppss.

A lot of these are for sale on his website. Wishing I could afford one or two.

Margaret resting up after her travails. Xoxoxox

Day 2052 Day 2 w Vlad

April 28, 2019May 2, 20194 Comments

So far. Still needs a few more darks and the red flowers on the balcony. Really wanted to add them.

The drawing

Half sheet. 15×22″ CP Rough arches. And did I say it’s R O U G H. You couldn’t draw a straight line on it if you wanted too.

First wash. As usual I once again went to the too dark side. Groan. But I rather like it. Also left too much white. Oops. Was suppose to cover the whole thing. And I used too much blue.

That’s it for tonite. It’s late and I am EXHAUSTED. TOO busy the last few days.

Margaret tucked up in bed. Xoxoxoxo

Day 2052 Day 1 with Vlad

April 26, 20192 Comments

Mine. Today Vlad talked about value, cast shadows, reflected shadows and and we did value studies. Did I say I am tired.

Then we drew and painted value studies.

Mine needs more darks in the middle.

This is his. I managed to loose my whites on the rocks in the middle immediately. So unlike me. What was I thinking.

These are painted on 300 # rough arches with only sepia paint.

#2 Immediately I went toooo dark. Oopsey.

This is the photo we all used.

Next pass.

Oops why did I paint the red flowers orange.

Better but no where near as good as his.

Vlads. Super teacher.

And his Russian accent. Oh my. You should have Heard him try to say FOG it up as in add mist to sky. Came out very close to the other word which he knew. We were all WHAT said he say til we figured out it was fog w a Russian accent

If he keeps this up the next two days he will be one of the best teachers I have taken a class from. Teaches you everything he knows. Walks the classroom when he’s not instructing generous with his time with everybody.

Margaret off to another family dinner. Xoxoxox

Day 2051 Ponce City and Decatur sketching

April 25, 2019Leave a comment

Ponce City these need W O R K lol

The old DeKalb County court house. A guy walking by on Ponce said it was beautiful. He didn’t notice my egregious error. Or that darn fly lol.

That’s better.

These are all 9×12″. Stillman and birn Alpha. Lamy Joy and Lamy Vista. My Ef was out of ink. I was actually going to paint today. I seem to have left my whisky painter box at home. Darn. I lugged some water brushes all over town. No paint. 😵😵😵

Watercolor to come.

Margaret off to a family dinner and an awards nite for Henry. Xoxoxo

Day 1742 Inktober

October 4, 2018Leave 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😱

August 14, 2018August 14, 2018Leave 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 1296 Magic Time Finally

July 19, 2018July 18, 20182 Comments

This post was stuck in my scheduled posts box. I don’t know if I posted but it’s such a great post can’t hurt posting again.

Watching Charles Reid paint a person is like watching someone make magic. He twitches his brush here and here. Stating at the nose suddenly there’s a fabulous painting of a person.

John was our model today. He did a wonderful job.

Charles painting.

The Master Charles Reid the most talented watercolorist in America today.

My sketch.

Painting

More painting.

Charles said time to quit so I did and I started another of John. Let ok’ing at him he needs more shadow on his cheek to define his cheek bone. Maybe a highlight lifted also on the cheek and more shadow in his brow.

John and his Jack Russell Jedi.

We all adored Jedi

Especially me. Missing my Zoe. One more of Jedi and his dad John.

My second drawing. I had about forty five minutes left to paint him.

Progress.

Times up. Hmm think he needs more hair but I like this one best of the two paintings.

Up to the rooftop the rain had ended.

A tugboat heading up river.

Night on the river

A paddle boat passing by while I waited for my car.Look who decided to jump in bed with me tonite. My friend Karen’s collie Carly. What a sweetheart.

Tomorrows model Carver whose mom looks like Madonna.

Nite nite. Margaret xoxoxo

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

March 10, 2018March 10, 20182 Comments

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 1164 The Fox

January 12, 2018January 12, 201820 Comments

Today is the day of the big wordpress makes me one of their favorite websites?! Gosh I wonder exactly where it will be. And exactly what it means. Anyway it’s exciting.

I just love the Fox Theatre. Love getting stopped at the light on Peachtree and Ponce so I can take pictures of it. If you have never been in it GO. RUN! It’s magical with its grandiose brass Moorish influences architecture. My Brain is tired from drawing and painting for hours today.

I also love the Atlanta skyline at night. It reminds me of Christmas trees lit up.

EEEKKKK!!!

Life did not go well. The reason there are two of them is the ink on the first one bled. No idea why. It’s my pilot desk pen that suppose to have permanent ink in it. It doesn’t. When I wet it with a base wash of quin gold it ran. I mopped it with paper towel. Painted some more and it kept running.

8×10″ For Sale. Also will be making prints and cards of these paintings. Email me if you are interested.

So I traced it off and transferred it with Sarah to another piece of paper. Then I inked it.

The first thing I did with this was to coat it lightly with quin gold. It makes the buildings glow. And it’s very transparent.

I used a lot of cobalt and Daniel Smith Piemonte in the shadows and to stripe the Fox. Piemonte’s a very transparent purple brown. Combined with cobalt it can be luscious.

The Fox is mostly quin gold though I got a little heavy with it so it went brown in places.

I combined indigo, alizarin, and hookers green to make a dark sky and coated it twice to make it opaque.

After I painted the sky black I realized that it should not have been black but the rest of the buildings should have been black and the sky lighter. Hoping to give the sky a glow and a ligher color I used Andrews turquoise near the rooflines and mineral violet higher up. Since they are both semiopaque colors they did a good job lightening the sky.

You can see where I tested the turquoise and violet on the messed up one.

I used a bit of white gel pen to highlight things. Quin red and coral on the tail lights because they have a glow no other permanent red has.

NUMBER 2 also for sale once I finish the sky and the darn marquee.

This is the runny ink sketch. I think I need to work on the sky a bit more but ya my favorite. When something’s messed up you have a lot of freedom to just play and I did.

The whites are all white gouache because I had NO whites left which is sad for any watercolor I think. The whites make it sparkle. Reserve those whites Kids!! I dabbed it on the grey tail lights, on the stop lights the street lights, all over the Marquee, and the Fox sign. Really made it pop. Did I say LOVE it now.

I think I might actually repaint this in a large format.

No gel pen on this one at all.

Black tape. Discovered that when I took a class from Peggy Habits last spring. Love that stuff. You can buy it at staples or on amazon.

PSSSSS.…somehow when I was painting I managed to make the marquee not quite square…guess thats another fix when I fix the sky.

Anyway welcome to my corner of the world which seems to involve a lot of driving by the Fox which I DO love. I am just a star struck Fox Theatre fan.

Margaret xoxox who would like to welcome all my new followers…12 in the last hour!! :>

Day 1163 Excitement

January 11, 2018January 11, 201814 Comments

This letter from WordPress Discover was in my in box this am. Too exciting. 🤗

I’ve selected your site (https://margaretmccarthyhunt.com/) for Discover (https://discover.wordpress.com); our team has promoted one of your posts in the past, but we also think your entire site is great, with new art frequently posted, so we wanted to designate it as a recommended site pick.Your site will appear on Discover on January 12. Thanks so much for continuing to publish with us and happy 2018!🤗👍🏻🎉

🔘Now about that picture. A remembrance of our adventure at the Center for the Puppetry Arts a big hit with Henry and I. The troupe does an amazing job. Extremely professional and a very well done show.

The painting is done with Ted Nuttalls transparent palette in my Stillman and Birn Alpha drawn with one of my Lamy’s.

The museum is incredible. A great Jim Henson section. Yes Kermit and Miss Piggy are there. And the Fraggles. Historical puppets from around the world. Indian shadow puppets. l Lots of interactive child friendly exhibits.