Day 153 Mustang

August 14, 2020August 15, 2020Leave a comment

My youngest son has always wanted a Mustang and last fall he finally bought one. You can read about the 64 1/2 Mustang here.

Yesterday I decided to draw it. Did I say he did not want ANY Mustang but an old vintage Mustang. He’s wanted it since at least high school. A red one.

Hmm he didn’t get a red one but he did get a lovely original Mustang in metallic blue.

Can’t decide if I ruined it coloring it. Stay tuned for more mustang torture. Ps it rides great w an engine that growls.

Lamy EF Namiki Fude Stillman and Birn Alpha Caran dache Neocolor ii

Vroom vroom vroom. Margaret Xoxoxox

Day 150 worse ways to

August 12, 20204 Comments

Spend the pandemic than virtual painting travel with Vlad Yesilesev

St. Martin du Mont

Almost done. Had to put my light pole back in. Oopsey.

Before I scraped the light pole in.

This paper loves to be scraped. Not sure what it is. Thinking 300# Kilimanjaro cold press.

I scratched the pole in with an xacto knife point. Doesn’t leafs work well but this paper loves it. I don’t like the way the same knife acts on Fabriano or arches.

The photo

Vlads value sketch

The sketch which I kept rearranging.

First wash.

Cad yellow and red, cobalt, yellow ochre, burnt sienna, Alizarin with a little dioxzine purple and a grey mix of those. Aka stir up your palette. Some yellow ochre gold.

Orange roofs added. Cad red and yellow

Dark greens added. Neutral tint, yellow, cobalt, and vandyke brown for tree green. Scraped wit a chunk of old credit card. Greys are palette soup.

Windows added. Cad red yellow and dioxzine purple. Cheap Joes turquoise on grey car windows.

Tree alizarin dioxzine purple and neutral tint shadow.

End of class

And now w the light post scraped out.

Zoe guarding my painting.

Back to my scarf. Only about 3 feet long now.

Margaret w her feet up xoxoxo

Day 143 Giverny 2

August 4, 2020May 19, 20212 Comments

Notice the numbers have gone down. I counted today exactly 143 days since IT started. I had been using Gov Cuomos count. I guess NY started before Ga.

Today I decided to repaint Giverny on different paper with different paint. Paint along with Vladislav Yesileyev. I spent an hour this am talking to a customer service rep at Cheap Joes. Great guy, very helpful, stuck out in the boonies near Boone NC where Cheap Joes is located. We talked each other’s ears off.

The gist of the conversation was I don’t like my cream colored Fabriano rough because it’s c ream colored. Great paper except it’s NOT white. And it takes the brightness away from the watercolor.

Turns out there is Fabriano rough white. Some is wafting it’s way to me as I type.

So I pulled out that annoying arches 140 block. Did I say it’s bright white. Paper may be rotten but it was the right color.

It was taped up ready to Paint. I also used my Fealing Lin palette full of non Chalky Daniel Smith M Graham and lovely Holbein plus A bit of cheap Joes Andrews turquoise and his alizarin permanent.

I think the whole thing is much brighter due to the white paper and the paint. The bottom one is the one from today. Top is the Fabriano cream w Lukas paint.

I should have listened to my friend Mike abt Lukas paint. Best I can say is it’s cheap.

I splattered the flowers while the green was wet like Charles Reid used to do. I may had a bit of pink w some gouache.

I also got better darks w my regular paints than I can ever get w the Lukas.

Wild storm tonite. Power out again. Sigh.

Goodnite all Margaret and Zoe tucked up in bed. Xoxoxo

Day 150 Giverny

August 3, 2020May 19, 20212 Comments

Our brushes lifted over for Giverny Paint along with Vladislav Yesileyev today in Normandie France. One day I hope to go. Giverny closes in October and we cruised by on our Viking longboat in November. We did get to tour Auvers sur L’Oise where Van Gogh lived and painted and finally died-even visiting his attic room where he drew his last breath and the cemetery where he’s buried. The sketch 300lb Fabriano rough

10×15

First wash. Off to the paint brush races.

Sprinting for the finish adding dappled shadows. Watercolors all about thinking light to dark.

Trees have grown zip zip so fast.

Cad yellow and cobalt neutral tint burnt umber.

Done for now though I think it needs more darks. I may resplatter. I wanted Monet pink. I got a red. Hmm and yes I added white gouache to the splatter. Oops.

How cute is this Downey?

Margaret back to her knitting. Xoxoxo

Day 144 Mellow Mushroom

July 28, 20203 Comments

Today’s painting. Mellow Mushroom On Broad St. – FOR SALE 10×15” watercolor

Might be done. We shall see. Course I say that all the time so could be I will change it by this time tomorrow.

I started it a few weeks ago. So glad I can scratch it off my to do list. I should always have an espresso in the am. Get so much more done. House squeaky clean and a new painting. Not bad for one days work.

I also worked on Dubrovnik some more. Tried to take some of the purple put of the wall. And wipes out some color on the right. I might need to wipe out some more. Who knows. It ak be done when it’s done right?! Lifted the handle of the par with some tape and a sea sponge.

Wipes out the signs dark shadow with the tape sponge trick and the black shadow under the truck.

Those two black shadows under the truck and around the sign screamed look at me. As did that white shirt on the girl in the foreground that had to go too.

Margaret contentedly tired but who needs to do her Powerplate xoxoxo

Day 140 Kitchen counter

July 24, 20202 Comments

Hard to believe it’s been 140 days since our lives changed. Hope you and yours are staying safe and wearing masks.

These sit on my kitchen island. A bank for my change and of course the now required hand sanitizer because sometimes I just get sick of washing my hands. I do think I am slightly addicted to hand washing though.

And a page to commemorate the to shortage aka wars. Signs of our times right?!

Namiki Fude in my Fabriano Artemis journal.

Done

Today’s bake. A cheesy cauliflower deep dish pizza. Not my fav. Next time back to my fav red onion garlic and zucchini topped with mozzarella.

Xoxox Margaret who thinks these would really look good with some paint.

Day 138 Maryland Farm vc

July 22, 2020May 19, 2021Leave a comment

So far. Was completely worn out when this paint along with Vladislav Yesileyev was done. Already making a list of improvements.

I couldn’t help but think that Frank and Mike on American Pickers would be Gaga over this old army truck. Vlad cracked me up by saying wonder what color this truck used to be. I wanted to say how about army green?!!!😂👍🏻

The photo

The sketch. Half sheet. A major undertaking. Eeek

First wash. Only a few colors cerulean sky neutral tint alizarin dioxzine purple cobalt yellow ochre cad yellow and red cobalt turquoise burnt sienna. That’s about it for now.

Accidently shot the barn up close. Thought u might like a look. Really nothing there is there.

and not done yet. Half sheet Fabriano rough.

Worn out. Had a glass of wine which I do about once a year. Today was the day.

Another way to look at masks. Better to wear and not need than to not wear and need aka be ill.😘

Hugs wear a mask stay safe.

Margaret Xoxoxox

Day 137 Provence

July 20, 2020May 19, 20213 Comments

Suddenly quite Tahred so will make this a short one. May be done. Maybe not. Lol. BUT a BIG improvement over the last time I did rooftops. Paint alongs with Vladislav Yesileyev. 300 # Fabriano rough Those were a disaster well comparatively speaking

The Eglise somewhere en Provence

Vlad did the value sketch. He knew this one was going to keep us busy.

The sketch. Talk about a pain. Following all those roof tops trying to be sure to get them all in.

First washes. Mine got a little runny because I used my kolinsky sable which holds much more water than the Escobar sables do.

One more time before we go.

Vlads always saying something funny that tickles me. This was one today. Scribbled on my color test scrap.

Margaret reading to watch Grantchester. Hope I stay awake that long. Feeling the zzz.

Day 136 Giverny

July 18, 2020May 19, 20212 Comments

Pronouncing this one done. I added lines to the sidewalk and stone effect. A few whites with Gouache. More reds on the taillights for sparkle. More black lines. Adding details here and there to improve contrast.

Paint along with Vladislav Yesileyev1/4 sheet Fabriano rough press. Lucas wc paint which I think gives a cloudy effect.

Last time. Can you tell the difference???

I am told this looks just like Giverny. When we were in France we didn’t go because it was closed. Closes in Nov I think.

But we went to Auvers where Van Gogh painted his last 6 months and finally died. It still looks just like it did when he lived there.

Do you know if you had gone to Van Gogh funeral you could have taken home one of his paintings.

I painted this during a five hour long class with Vlad on drawing cars which I draw a lot and people ditto that. He always brings something new and fresh to the table that you have never thought of.