Day 35 Breakout

April 18, 20203 Comments

Well just a ride to Walmart and back for a drive by pickup. People all over the place. Old people with NO masks buying “essentials” like ferns and palm trees(the houseplant kind!!)😵😵😂

Another sketch of my corner. No idea how I twisted the table like that but oh well. And the red chair is a bit off but the red in the drawing is fun. Maybe a bother go round tomorrow.

Another day of messy pens. Found my twisbee in the pen drawer. I thought hmm not used that in awhile. It leaked everywhere necessitating a ledger patch. It seemed to travel around the page. Sigh.

I “fixed this sketch. Used an old ledger from dads business years ago to cover up the smeared ink.

Margaret who needs to call her mom so ttyl. Xoxoxo

Alezia 3

March 10, 20201 Comment

Been working on her.

Small changes. More darks around her face changing the eyes. Everything is slightly off.

Shadow under lip. Think the left eye is still to high. Sigh.

Here she is now. Better but… I also took about an inch or so off her right shoulder. Still too wide but better.

Margaret back to being enthralled with the corona virus news. 😳😳😳 Hang on tight and don’t go taking a plane trip. Xoxoxo

Azelia 2

March 8, 2020Leave a comment

Our model once again was Azelia.

The drawing

Second break?!

Once again I started with an allover layer of quin gold to give her a nice glow. Then I added burnt sienna alizarin Andrews turquoise mineral violet. You know the drill don’t you?!!

Laying in the hair and the yes with ultramarine and burnt umber. Eye shadows mineral violet and turquoise with a bit of burnt sienna. Lips alizarin mineral violet.

Background still needs work. Eeek. And can’t decide quite what to do to her eyes. Maybe darker eyebrows might help. And then who knows.

Al Beyer oil

Al Beyer paints. Oil!!

Bill Daniels. Love his take on her. Maybe a candidate for the witch in wicked?!!

Fred doing his Mondigiliani thing. Acrylic on cardboard. He got a lot of ribbing for his cardboard. As if the driver of five different very nice cars including a Lexus and a fancy Cadillac 2 door can not afford some new Masonite.

Joya. Oil on canvas. Always interesting to see everyone’s take on the model. So different.

Last Drew Murphy.

Margaret staring at Alezia and making a fix list. Xoxoxo

Neither rain nor sleet nor hail

March 4, 2020Leave a comment

will keep us from gathering at USC Aiken to paint. The weather predicted today was terrible (tornadoes and torrential rain) but we soldiered on.

First break. An all over wash of quin gold some burnt sienna alizarin a touch of mineral violet.

Coming along more of the same colors.

When I left Aiken

Now. I keep losing the edge across her arm and thigh where the drippy background meets the body but really liking the background. I can lift the burnt umber off the skin.

I also lifted her shoulder about 1/2″ to make her body more in proportion with her head which is a touch too big.

Added some more darks to her face especially around the eyes and the chin.

Really like the background which is a combo of all the colors used plus cobalt. Nice swirly look made mostly by splattering wet on wet.

Will post her again after I lift the spillover on her body. Have to let it dry first.

Highlights mostly lifted out now.

My favorite bit. Andrews turquoise and yellow ochre stripes. Or was it burnt sienna

Margaret watching the Super Tuesday returns. Xoxoxo

Life modeling at USC Aiken

February 27, 2020Leave a comment

After my Saturday disaster I really didn’t want to make the drive to Aiken but I got a nice painting so am glad I did.

First break. Funny how washed out she looks.

So how did I paint her?? The big question I got yesterday.

Most of the painting was done with a two inch flat black velvet. Finishing with my 10 Charles Reid da Vinci.

First up a wash of quin gold all over her. It just gives a nice glow to African Americans.

Then I judiciously started adding burnt sienna and burnt umber for shadows. A swish of cad orange on highlights on her back. Piling on Andrews turquoise as well as a small dab of ultramarine toward the end for shadows and cad red light on the highlights – ears, the tip of the nose and on the elbow.

The hair is burnt umber and ultramarine. Not sure why I left the divot on top of her head but will fix that sooner or later.

The cloth she is sitting on is burnt sienna and cad red light.

Margaret relieved she can still draw after Saturday.

Every Once in A While I amaze myself.

February 25, 2020February 25, 20202 Comments

Gypsy got in the Transparent Watercolor Show which is a National Show in Kenosha Wisconsin in June. Who cares if she wins?? Feel like I won the lottery with her just getting into the show. So excited got zero sleep last night.

The show is ranked with The American Watercolor Show and the National Watercolor Show.

The difference in the shows in TWS your painting has to be all transparent watercolor. Lots of things disqualify it. Too much pencil. Gouache. Not lifting all the masking fluid. All these things don’t disqualify you from the other two shows.

If the judges Kathleen Conover and Herman Pikel decide I get one of those nice juicy checks I will be heading to Wisconsin don’t you know. Lol.

I actually had to look on the map last nite to see where Kenosha was. Due north of Chicago. Should be lovely in June. We shall see.

Margaret whose in charge of book club tonite. Eeekk Xoxoxox

Key West Dreaming

February 20, 2020Leave a comment

All this drizzly rain is making the thought of steaming hot Key West wonderful right now though I will say NO more trips to Two Friends. First time we went it was wonderful. Second time worst food I have eaten anywhere. Fried shrimp lost in thick nasty batter. To add insult to injury the two chickens got on another table to scavenge leftover food. Understandable when they roam freely and are protected BUT what wasn’t good was the table was not wiped down before the next couple sat down. Yuckkkk.

The chickens also raced around the restaurant vying for a piece of lettuce. Who knew it was so tasty?!!

Now I meant to chronicle our trials on the background of this page but right now liking the painting so much might want to leave it alone.

Fealin Lin PaLeTTe colors in a Stillman and Birn Zeta. Lamy Joy pen with Noodlers eelskin Ink.

Margaret settling in for a midwinters nap before she finishes her sock. One more inch!! Xoxoxo

It’s Saturday

February 10, 2020February 10, 20202 Comments

After lifemodeling at noon.

Already changing her.

So far right now. Ilaina and I continue our torture. 🤣. Think this one is the best so far though her face is a little to red and the grey stripe on the left needs to be lifted.

The drawing at first break. Her face was still not right. And the right hand too narrow.

Second break. Before her face got too red. Sigh.

On the whole I like her But check back tomorrow for minor changes.

My favorite bit of the painting. Almost abstract.

Colors used cad red light cad yellow light cad orange alizarin cobalt Cheap Joes Andrews turquoise and mineral violet. Hair ultramarine and burnt umber but needs to go darker.

Greys burnt sienna cobalt and/or ultramarine and burnt umber.

140# Fluid cold press paper

Drew Murphy acrylic

Al Byre oil

Eve Crit charcoal

Fredliani as I have nicknamed him or Fred as everybody calls him. Rather like the wild colors in this one. Fredlianis letting his fauvism show. He’s even messed up his palette. Usually it’s surgically neat and orderly.

Ruth Pearls photo of a daff in the snow in Chickamauga Ga today.

Margaret xoxoxo

New Ilaina torture

February 1, 2020Leave a comment

Ilaina today after an hour and a half of painting. Already thinking of corrections. Drew was not there to light her so she had the lamp full in her face the whole time. It was maybe a foot above her head. Good way to go blind but also made her eyes narrow and squinchy and also made dramatic shadows.

the sketch and a toning wash of ochre and turquoise

dr bill oil

Coach Larry knocking them out. Charcoal.

It’s Saturday

January 26, 2020January 26, 20203 Comments

First break

Drew this view first but I really am not fond of a small figure in the middle of a large page. The figure turned out nicely but it’s almost as if a microscope is needed to see the figure in this drawing. So I moved to another more interesting angle that would fill up the page better.

This is what I ended up with. I only had an hour when I started so not bad for an hour. I should finish but probably won’t.

Her torso is a bit too long and what is with the left foot?!

Mostly painted with card red and yellow for flesh tones. Alizarin for darks or cobalt violet or a bit of Cheap Joes Andrews turquoise. Darkest darks cobalt and burnt sienna.

Black drape cobalt and burnt sienna. Yellow ochre and cobalt ok the lighter one.