Oops meant to post

November 20, 2020November 20, 20204 Comments

This yesterday.

Drawing Van Goghs The Room with Danny Gregory. Always a fun activity on YouTube. Low pressure. Everyone yaks away via chat while Danny yaks. Last about an hour. He’s always relaxing.

As to The Room. Drawn with Caran d’ache neocolor ii which are crayons that turn into watercolors. I wet them with my fingers aka finger painted. I was too lazy to get up and find a brush so I stuck my fingers in my nearby water glass and smeared the color around.

Did u know the actual painting has turned purple. Some reaction to the underpaintings color. Oops Vincent what happened?!

Margaret xoxoxo

Composition- Provence or the Blue Ridge?!!

November 13, 2020May 19, 20212 Comments

I am thinking it’s the blue ridge. I love the views from the tops of the mountains with the towns snuggled in the bottom around a lake.

I think this paintings done. Going to sleep on it to be sure.

12×17″ arches 280 cp Cheap Joe’s American Journey paint.

Paint along with Vladislav Yesileyev

I took a class with Vlad Yesileyev on composition today.

Fascinating and educational as usual.

He said composition is THE most important thing in a drawing.

Typically you divide a drawing into thirds vertically and horizontally. And where they cross is your focal point. It’s the place where you should put the greatest contrast in your painting with less detail in the other areas.

MINIMIZE anything not in your focal point. And if you don’t like your value sketch then don’t start painting.

I highly recommend that class. He’s just THE best teacher. Willing to answer any question and stay as late as necessary to help if needed. He explains everything so well leaving no detail unexplained as to why he’s doing what he’s doing. And if you don’t understand he will patiently explain it again.

And he has a GREAT russian accent and a GREAT sensenofnhumor.

The drawing

First wash. I managed NOT ago sticky my fingers in the sky or blot it. My two fav things to do to mess up My sky wash. Yellow Ochre cobalt alizarin and neutral tint

Finishing first wash using the same colors

Adding trees. I can finally do lacy dry brush trees. Well more or less.

Still using the same colors and some burnt sienna and burnt umber and indigo for the dark greens.

Teacher critique. Too much splatter and pines too Lacey. Oops. Easy fix.

Can I whine but I like splattering. You should see the tv I watch the zoom on. Covered w specks of paint.

and yes he was right. Too much splattering of flowers in the foreground.

Do yourself a favor and sign up for his paintalongs and his classes. You will be glad you did.

Day 235 Urbansketching in Decatur

November 4, 2020November 4, 2020Leave a comment

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

Day 229 Recipe time

October 28, 2020Leave a comment

They never seem to turn out how I imagine but the recipe book is filling up. Try these two. Easy ad delish.

Snickerdoodles. Yum. Quite popular with my friends

My fav go to easy meal

Margaret going to watch Queens Gambit because I got sidetracked Fishermans Friends a feel good movie about some British fisherman who hit the top ten with their sea shanty recordings. A true story. Xoxoxo

Day 201 Venice Canal Part Deux

October 15, 2020May 19, 2021Leave a comment

Or should I say Duo?!

Think it’s done. The way I left it Sunday after The paint along with Vlad Yesileyev. I was not happy with it and thought about trashing it. Aka turn it over and paint on the back.

I actually used a large 1″ bristle brush to wash this off after I taped it up. It lightened up a lot. Thank goodness. Hate to waste half sheet of Kilimanjaro. Down to about one sheet of it. Eeek.

So I slowly stated adding color to it. Adding a lot of black and grey. Actually used ivory black. As well as mixed greys and blacks.

I also Added A grey unifying wash on the brown building on the left and across the bottoms of some Of the others.

I also added some blues-cobalt ultramarine cerulean and Andrews turquoise. And Browns burnt umber and burnt sienna mixed with blues and that darn Dioxzine purple.

Then I decided it needed some more black and some vague details on the right walk way. Oops I had forgotten them. Joes turquoise and grey to the rescue.

Subtle Changes so I didn’t kill it again.

And this is it now. Really like it a lot.

Scrubbing off color was so much fun I decided to scrub this one too. It too has gone to the dioxzine side. Duh.

Look how light it is now. This one won’t be so hard to fix. Not as much to do.

Margaret listening to the news. Xoxox. Stay safe and wear your masks people. Hugs!!!

Day 214 Kitty Doodles

October 15, 2020October 15, 20202 Comments

Got bogged down doing paperwork today but managed to draw the pot kitties on my back porch. Oddly once again two are missing. Last time that happened they turned up. So who knows. It’s a wait and see right?!

This morning they were busy playing inside and outside. Spent the afternoon snoozing. As I type they are waking up. Of course I Am done drawing them. Sigh

Anyway here they are. Used my Namiki Fude. Faber castell watercolor pencils. Was afraid to dampen the watercolor pencil because I knew the ink would run. Really need to order a bottle of platinum black. Never had these things problems with it.

Stillman and Birn alpha.

Zoe’s ready for Halloween. She was very excited when I put on her Halloween scarf.

The knitting is growing. 16″ or so now.

Margaret thinking abt a nap. Xoxoxox

Day 210 Parafruegel Costa Brava Spain

October 11, 2020May 19, 2021Leave a comment

Flying away with Vlad Yesilesev on today’s paint along. I think I actually finished for once. Reserve the right to get up tomorrow and change it. Half sheet Kilimanjaro 140#. Trying to decide if I want to buy more 300# Kilimanjaro. Down to my last sheet but I have a large stack of the 140 so I may use it for a while. #useitup Also a stack of arches cold press #280.

The photo

Vlads value sketch

The sketch

First wash

What people already.

Oops forgot to take photos.

More darks esp foreground and under the umbrellas. The balcony. Playing with my saber brush which us fun to do squiggly calligraphic lines with.

thought it was done but nope.

added a few more whites and more balcony shadow.

Anybody want a kitty kitty???

Margaret xoxoxo

Day 200 Drawing Upside Down With Danny Gregory

October 2, 20205 Comments

Om his Thursday noon draw with me post on youtube. You never know what he’s going to draw. Usually interesting and free. Might have to add an Austrian stamp to this. What do u think??!

Could not leave my sketch alone but had to decorate it esp since my palette was open and wet. Quin gold w dabs of burnt umber and ultra marine blue. Splattered with burnt sienna.

The sketch with my micro uniball and my Namiki Fude. Stillman and Birn Alpha.

We drew from this upside down Egon Schiele sketch of his wife. They both died from the Spanish flu in Oct 1919. He trained under Gustav Klimt and does wonderful strange sketches of people. Maybe he drew them upside down like we did today?!

Margaret xoxoxo

Day 198 One more down Edisto Way

September 28, 2020May 19, 20216 Comments

Having a binge tv do nothing day unless I had no choice. Driveway visit with a friend I hadn’t seen since hmm well about 198 days- not since Covid started. Hard to believe we are almost at 200 days since lock down begun. 1000 deaths per day for 200 days and no end in sight. Cheery thoughts on a gorgeous fall day.

I meant to draw some people in this sketch but of course they hopped in their go cart and zipped off down the beach about the time I sat down to draw this scene. Oops.

Hope I didn’t share this already. My granddaughter and I got out at the crack of dawn to take this pic. Did u know the birds start flying away from their roost almost the minute dawn strikes. It was like 3 2 1 liftoff dawn is here. And off they sailed. Next time I will have my good camera and get out there 15 min earlier. 😩😩😩

Margaret xoxoxo

Day 195 Out the Window

September 24, 2020Leave a comment

I should add an egret cruising in to this drawing. There are at least 100 egrets cruising in now to roost under the windows in the trees that I didn’t draw in this sketch.

Micro uniball stillman and birn Alpha

Trying to remember to do a focal point while u sketch and let the rest go as background and foreground is not easy. I tried.

Of course the egrets are on the side of the trees away from the house so u can just see a dab of white here and there. Truly there are at least 100. I just saw 25 land in quick succession. Then they sit in the trees and clack and growl at each other most of the night. Also a few wood storks cruising by. Hard to tell if they are roosting. There. And a youngster or two. No sun tonite or I was going to drive around the lagoon and look at them. Maybe tomorrow evening if it’s sunny. I took this one thru the screen on my rooms cute little porch. Did I say it needs a rocker or two?!