Day 132 Run Away to Fredericksburg Maryland

July 14, 2020May 19, 20217 Comments

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.

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

Day 128 The Prince of Key West

July 10, 20202 Comments

The Key West Prince. Fun way to pass a few hours. May have to try another one of these. Possibly make some prints?? This was done while Drawing with Danny Gregory and Gigi Chen today which was fascinating. Gigi Chen is adoreable and amazingly talented.

Among the many types of art she does are amazing pen drawings of people and birds. You can catch a class with her next weekend July 18 with Sketchbookskool.com/workshops

She uses ink pen to do hers. I used gel pens because I had bought some a while back from amazon to use for Vlads class.

The prince is done with Pentel gel pens primarily orange white navy and a fav of purple and gold plus a fine sepia Pitt pen and a red Academy pilot pen. No red gel pen. Done in my Stillman and Birn Alpha. One more page!!! Wooohooo. New one waiting.

Worked on this one a bit today. Added some sidewalk cracks and took the white out of the big street light.

Some black on the bottom left.

#chicken

#rooster #keywest #pen #gelpen #sketchbookskool #drawingwithdanny #dailydrawing #artjournal #ink #chicken #chook #rooster #keywest #florida

Day 127 Mellow

July 8, 20206 Comments

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

Day 126 Two pages left

July 8, 2020Leave a comment

Til I finish this sketchbook. Got another waiting!!

Koosje was drawing trees on draw too Tuesday but pouring rain here so NOPE not happening. However this wandered in the house attached to a very wet Amazon delivery. So I tossed it on the floor for a birds eye view and got out my new box of 12 carat d’ache neocolor ii watercolor crayons, always fun to draw with.

Here it is before I wet them and embellished them.

Then I wet this one down and worked on the glass I bit. Better?? Maybe.

Margaret ready for bed. Xoxoxox

Day 121 Sweetwater Lilies

July 3, 20202 Comments

Day lilies abound in the western North Carolina mountains. I don’t think there is a more gorgeous spot than there.

Watercolor pencil in my stillman and birn Alpha.

Wildflowers everywhere.

A sweet cabin on a trout stream.

Wild lace cap hydrangeas line the riverbanks the road and the hiking trails.

Down the hill path is the largest waterfall on our property on the Thompson River.

Tall Falls

Margaret ready to do nothing xoxoxo

Day 118 Quayside in Croatia

June 29, 2020May 19, 20214 Comments

with Vlad Yesilesev on a paint along today. Paint and paint brushes flying.

Maybe done. Think so. Quarter sheet 300# fabriano rough aka 11×14″ Dont we wish we could hop on a jet and go there??!

The photo

Sketch with first washes. Yellow ochre cobalt blue and alizarin

Sorry for the blurry pic. I tried to unblur but nope. Not working.

Lots of white gouache highlights. Masts and other dark lines done with the saber brush. I should have blotted it more. An interesting way to spend the afternoon.

All in all I like it.

Margaret Xoxoxox

Day 114 Excitement

June 25, 202011 Comments

My painting Gypsy is posted in the virtual exhibit from the Transparent Watercolor Show of America. No prize but some really famous watercolor painters didn’t get one either. Exciting just to be in it.

Some gorgeous paintings. You won’t see more beautiful watercolors anywhere. Sometimes I impress myself. I am in a show with John Salminen and Ted Nuttall. OMG!!

And Linda Baker the pourer from Charleston aka she only pours her watercolor painting. Messy messy but gorgeous. Dean Mitchell. I am in top company. All of these people get to teach at Cheap Joes. Hmmm. Brenda Swenson is another one.

Margaret who better go to sleep. She has to be up early. Xoxoxo

Here’s the link if you want to look.

Day 112 Piedmont Park Atlanta

June 23, 2020May 19, 20212 Comments

A beginning but lots left to do. The gazebo on Lake Clara Meer in Piedmont Park. Did not like it at all when I went to bed last nite but today in daylight I do. Paint along with Vladislav Yesileyev.

The photo. It’s a popular spot where the ducks teem to get fed. The value sketch. Ready to be hung at the Louvre🤣. Wasn’t sure I wanted boats. They aren’t allowed in the lake but I went with the flow. We always do these first w a 2B pencil and cheap printer paper on a clip board.

The sketch. Rough 300# Fabriano. No more Arches for me. Sorry for the bad photo. Can not improve it. I tried. Drawn w an hb pencil.

First wash. Colors used yellow ochre cobalt blue alizarin dioxizine purple.

I was not suppose to leave all the white in the water. Trying to follow him who is painting lightening fast and cover a half sheet. Groan. I did use my big size 16 kolinsky from Cheap Joes. But still. I do better for details like leaving white columns on the gazebo and making them straight with my 14 kolinsky from Cheap Joes. In my next life I am getting a Raphael or Windsor Newton. Hmm maybe I should try my mop next time.

Moving onto darker colors. But still very sheer. I have to admit painting with Vlad is like running a road race always trying to catch up with the number one runner. Leaves me worn out but in a good way.

How it looked when I quit for the day.

Ok more colors used golden ochre cobalt turquoise. Neutral tint made from indigo burnt sienna and doxizine purple. Adding white coach’s for lost highlights. Still need to do.

Half the trick is learning to use those pesky perla escodas and that saver brush. Vlad now sells his own brand for $89 from Rosemarys brushes but I have two sets of the Perlas so will wait til I wear them out. Some kind of synthetic fibers. I don’t think u can do the dry brush with my much loved kolinsky sable and I would NOT touch my Charles Reid kolinsky da Vinci on this rough paper. I don’t want to destroy it with the texture.

And I know you can’t do those I the tiny details w a kolinsky sable. The sabers have a wobble to them that makes interesting lines. Controlling them well that’s another thing. They really shine on tree branches and railings. Light posts. Power lines. They make graceful lines.

Top two brushes are the sabers. I use the green handled one a Loosey Goosey from Cheap Joes the most. Then three Perlas. Hmm I have four. 8 10 12 14. Got them dirt cheap on amazon. And my two Cheap Joes Kolinsky sables.

The tree Branch is done with the saber brush. An odd paint brush that does hold a ton of water despite it being synthetic. Right now I am trying to decide if the tree branch needs more work. Maybe?!! It is done with the saber brush.

Margaret who needs to quit goofing off make some bread and paint paint paint. Xoxox

Day 106 Laguna Beach redo

June 16, 2020May 19, 20213 Comments

Here it is. Better I think except that one umbrella. The blue one needs something.

Here’s the sketch. I painted on Arches rough 12×16″ 140 lb. Blaming it for my stripey sky exactly what Vlad said it would do but it was easier to draw on than my rough Fabriano.

Hmm I just realized it was flat as flitter whole time I painted on it. So not all bad.

Also like the not quite so prominent palms even though I am a big palm tree fan. So many kinds of every shape. They are fascinating.

I also added a few more darks to this. Signed ready for the framer.

Before I added some more darks. I liked it a lot when it was like this but I like it even better now.

And this one. Added more darks. Think I am putting it over my bed so I can have dreams of returning to Paris one day soon. Finishing Paint alongs with Vladislav Yesileyev

Here it earlier. Added some more purple and browns to the buildings too.

Now I am off to Copenhagen with Phil. Great show. Such a funny man. Xoxoxo

Day 102 A Rainy Evening in Paris

June 12, 2020May 19, 20214 Comments

15×22″ 300# Fabriano rough press

With Vlad Yesilesev. Started the paint along TWO days late. And finished just as zoom made it go poof today. Thank goodness.

The picture. The church is St Eustache Eglise on Ile de France with Les Halles in the distance. The services of nearby Notre Dame have been meeting here since the fire.

The sketch. Erase erase erase. 😫

First washes. Forgot to take a pic of the very first wash. Darn it

Finishing up. But it went too dark I think maybe. Soooo

I taped her up and lifted some color with my sea sponge. Vlad should never have showed me how to do that.

Here it is lifted. After I looked at it for a while I decided it had to have some more darks especially under the cars. They looked like they were floating.