Capturing friends

December 13, 20192 Comments

Rich Klein listening to Joe Kameen talk at USC Aiken. I am sure one day I will look back thru my sketchbooks and say I remember him. He’s the guy who started buying Lamy pens!! Aka he fell down the rabbit hole with the rest of us. Prof Rich can frequently be seen leaning on his chin while he listens intently or hmm maybe he day dreams. You can follow him at richkleinvisions on instagram. Inside his head might be quite interesting if his art work is any indication.

Lamy EF Noodlers Eelskin Ink handprint journal.

And yes he will get painted if I ever quit knitting. Christmas stocking half done. Did I post this?! For youngest grandson. Down to the heel now so on the downhill run.

Margaret whose glad the icy cold rain has stopped. Xoxoxox

Ends and Beginnings

December 8, 2019Leave a comment

Quitting on her for now. Taken in direct sunlight today. I did fix her arm. Too much purple on her left arm but oh well. And still a bit to lift on top of her thigh or maybe some of my friend gouache.

Sunlight thru the window. She’s darker. Hmm.

and last nite while she was still wet under some pink lights. Hard to take photos when the paper is waving like that because she’s so wet.

Beginnings. Time to get a painting done for GWS. I don’t know why I procrastinate but this one needs a bit of study because the right hand is def off. So must be fixed before I paint it. And no clue what’s wrong with the hand. M

Margaret off to bake some banana bread muffins for a drop in tomorrow am. Xoxoxo

One must

December 7, 20195 Comments

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

It’s Saturday

November 9, 20193 Comments

Ilaina hot press fluid paper 15×22″

What a gorgeous day today. And lots more fun going to life modeling in Aiken then a spot of urban sketching after in Graniteville. Discovered a whole street of about 20 Gothic cottages and a church. All different colors in a row like a planned community with a church gleaming in the autumn sun. Thought it could be a great place to go urban sketching or Plein air painting on a lovely autumn day.

My drawing. I actually drew her twice. First time just from waist up. So I flipped the board and redrew her because I wanted to include the lovely curve of her hip.

There went forty minutes!!😵

Second break. Going for it. Only have about an hour left to paint.

I managed to fiddle away the first two thirds and had to paint fast to finish. Still not pleased with her eye. But it’s done. Ilaina loves it so must be ok. Right?!

My friend Ruth said it looked like some delicious cotton candy.🤗

Flesh cad red light and cad yellow light. Lots of alizarin crimson for darks on her skin. Shadows of more alizarin Andrews turquoise and dioxzine purple

Hair ultramarine and burnt umber w a bit of burnt sienna for red.

Background Andrews turquoise French yellow ochre.

Margaret who walked Alie today and is not Tahred. Xoxoxo

Random success

October 21, 20192 Comments

So here she is after class is done. Julio and Candace did a terrific job. You can follow them on Instagram or Facebook.

Painting went a lot better today when I realized you could use the egg tempera in a manner similar to acrylic softening edges with my finger smudging the paint.

I also had a lot of fun painting hair with my loose goose paint brush from Cheap Joes. I couldn’t paint straight lines with it if I tried.

The cost of egg tempera is a lot less than acrylic so I may have to buy some of the minerals to mix with the eggs and try it out.

As teachers Candace and Julio were so thorough. We know how to make paint. Tricks to make the painting process easier and how to prepare aluminum panel to paint on or even marble tiles offbe free as leftovers at tile shops. Our class also included a great hand out.

If you ever get a chance to take a class with them do. I highly recommend it.

Margaret ready for a fall nap. Xoxoxox

That other candy store

October 9, 2019Leave a comment

Is painted.

Fluid handprint journal. I had a lot of splatters on it from splattering trees. They wiped off. 😳

Now let’s see if the book dries flat. Did not like my last one but maybe they have improved?!

I used Fealing Lin’s palette colors but had to add Charles Reid’s fav chrome green and viridian as well as my fav Daniel Smith Green apatite. The hookers she uses is TOOO relentlessly green.

Cad red cad orange cad yellow burnt sienna and umber ultramarine American Journey turquoise. And a white pentel pen.

Margaret who has splatters everywhere. Even my phone and glasses. Xoxoxo

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 1309 Dr Sketchys

June 28, 2018June 28, 2018Leave a comment

hard to believe it’s already Dr Sketchys time.

Started off great. A five minute gesture sketch done with a pentel brush pen and watercolor.

Stephanie was our model. Such a hoot. She’s the mistress of the Augusta’s Chat Noir Burlesque troupe- also very funny. The burlesque ladies have a show coming up July 21 22nd. Hope to make it.

Stephanie is as Frida Kahlo. Then it went downhill for a while. I am blaming painting all afternoon. I was tired!

Stephanie the vamp.

Thirty minute final pose. Quite pleased with it!!

Finally I tossed my pentel brush pen and drew with a stadler B pencil and voila got one I liked.

Here’s the sketch before I painted it.

I used my Holbein Metal Palette with Charles Reid colors. Ordered a new one from amazon because this one is getting rusty and crusty. I lust for a Craig Young Palette at $480 🤪. When I am rich and famous right?!!

Drawn in my super aquabee tablet. 11×14″

Margaret xoxoxoxo off to run errands before I head to The western North Carolina mountains for the weekend of the fourth.

Day 1102 Its Saturday

November 11, 2017November 11, 2017Leave a comment

I was busy torturing Ilaina today. Hard to soften the edges on the inexpensive strathmore bristol but the colors blend and mingle deliciously

Might be done? May get more backgroundAt second break Ilaina and I decided to try green for the background since there was a lot of red in the painting. Complimentary colors play well together.

Really like this one though I think I will add a bit more of the green apatite on the left.

Second break

Colors used flesh- Quin pink & raw sienna added dioxzone purple burnt sienna for shadows combined w Quin pink & raw sienna for shadows. Hair- sepia & ultramarine blue. Green apatite and Quin gold background. Ilaina said green was for her heart chakra. She is definitely a sweetheart.