#29 The Blue Bird of Happiness

March 26, 2023March 26, 2023Leave a comment

Leans a little to the left but calling her done. I didn’t draw the line under her straight. Opps. The wind was blowing her feathers but not that hard lol. You will notice she looks straight in the next one. Just one little crooked line did that.

Evidently females are more grey than males. Thanks Mike. Took a while getting the right blue and fixing the whites. Yes i hauled out the gouache. Added thalo to the cobalt which perked her up.

First round. She was too dull even for a female

Round two fixing the beak and the eyes which required alot of fiddling.

And done. Thalo and cobalt burnt sienna quin rose and cad yellow white gouache paynes grey.

Margaret back to her other painting. Involves blue bonnets and indian paintbrush Xoxoxoxo

A Birdie kind of Day

March 16, 2023March 16, 2023Leave a comment

Still not finished but clueless what to do to finish him. It will come sooner or later. He kept me awake last night thinking about him. Still no answers but thoughts if a bigger one on wc paper instead of in my journal. Delft Blue Derwent watercolor w Black Inktense and indanthrine, red, yellow and orange faber Castell watercolor pencils.

So while i was thinking about number 1 number two came to visit. Pitt pen , Black Inktense pencil and red, yellow and orange faber Castell watercolor pencils. Guess I need to finish the fence hes standing on.

When i left the neighborhood this am two random geese were crossing the road in front of me. Since i drive a prius they couldn’t hear me and they were oh so pokey i finally beeped at them.

I could head one say to the other RUN BABY RUN! Did u know geese are mated for life pairs?!

Margaret xoxoxo

Getting done?

March 15, 2023Leave a comment

The Messy Table i have been letting pile up in the den. Lamy EF, watercolor and inktense pencils and tombow markers and Strathmore mixed media sketchbook which used to be my go to sketchbook til i found Stillman and Birn. The paper is much heavier than the S and B alpha i normally use. 140 # cp

I painted the wc pencil with my winsor newton momarch psuedo mongoose 1/2” flat love the way it painted.

But it still needed something.

Thr tombow greys did the trick i think. And then i cleared the table off.

Margaret xoxox

Take two on court reporter

February 25, 2023Leave a comment

Alex Murdaugh take 2. Now I am tired. Watercolor pencil superaquabee sketchbook

The pencils. The loose colors are the ones i used alot. I mostly use Faber Castell and or Inktense. Better get them sharpened for Monday.

Maggie henceforth known as Mags ready for bed. hmm never heard that as a knickname for Margaret. Xoxoxo

Oops dropped that ball

February 10, 2023February 10, 2023Leave a comment

Forgot to post because my friend Mike and I wore ourselves out Wednesday virtually painting with each other. We did two of the sessions then collapsed for the rest of the week. Lol. We bees delicate.

The Thompson River – gouache, fluid 140# cold press paper

Mike Hernandez did a great job. So succinct. His day job is as Art Director for Dreamworks. How cool a job is that? His style is reminiscent of what I call the golden age of cartoons back in the forties when Disney and others had fabulous artwork in their animations.

Next up. One of these. 🤞🏻🤞🏻🤞🏻 Irena Roman said to try it out in my sketchbook first. So I did. Leaning toward the first one maybe reversed like the bottom one? What do you think. It will be big. At least a half sheet.

Doing it a la swan style. Hmm I forgot it was this way. Well maybe the first one then.

Margaret still tired xoxoxo

Where I have been

January 30, 2023Leave a comment

In the dining room madly painting. I signed up for watercolorlive 2023. It’s all my friend Mikes fault. She talked me into it. What a mad three days of wild fun painting. Classes and seminars lasted from 10 am til 9 pm. Will be posting them the next few days.

My Swan from the hour Paint along with Shelley Prior one of 18 teachers we had . She was awesome. She held our hands and walked us thru it step by step. I am in love w my swan and will be checking out her extensive YouTube feed. Her instructions were clear step by step with no need to rush to keep up. This swan just glows. My favorite out of my stack of paintings.

Most of the paintings I did. There are TEN still left to do that I didn’t get around to for various reasons.

We started off with Julie who does Cheap Joes two minute art on you tube.

This took abt five minutes and was Julie’s tip. A fun way to start the day and to loosen up. We were all tense. I mean 18 teachers and all those hours. Eeek.

Out agenda. We were VERY busy. No potty breaks no lunch breaks. A good way to diet. Lol.

Next up the great Thomas Schaller. Now almost all the teachers supplied a sketch for us to draw before class started. This was NOT a drawing workshop but a painting workshop. For some reason. Thomas didn’t think we needed a drawing. Hmm. Off to a rocky start. I madly drew it and started flinging paint around.

On a half sheet. My perspective was off. Supposedly his odd idea of firefly houses. Who knew they don’t have fireflies in S California where he’s from. They got his attention in his new home in NYC. My husband loves it Me not so much.

Fireflies half sheet 140lb.
So I had to cram in time to tinker with it. It was really bothering me. The perspective was wonky. Hate that and all that glaring white paper on the top left screamed at me. Better. Still won’t be my fav. He can hang it in his mancave. Lol. Still may need more tinkering. Time will tell.

Next up a portrait with Patricia Guzman a lovely painter from Mexico who specializes in indigenous people. She’s a realistic portrait painter not my bag but she was a great teacher. At some point I got tired of painting every wrinkle and quit. LOVE the way this painting turned out. 1/4 sheet arches 149
Cold press I think.

Every artist had a different kind of paper or color of paint so I just used what I had and matched it up as closely as I could from my stash. Did I say I have way too much paper?!

My friend Mike my cohort in art crimes I mean classes. We met at a Charles Reid class in Boone at Cheap Joes 8 9 years ago and been friends and Charles Reid worshippers ever since. we are going to have a weekly zoom meetup til we finish out pile of not done drawings. There are quite a few. Eek

Another day another sunset. More tomorrow. My fingers are tired. Xoxoxox Margaret

#ericrhodes @

Haley is finally done

January 25, 2023February 1, 2023Leave a comment

Over painted her with muck on my palette instead of using fresh color. Then I added some white gel pen to our sweet girl. Even the turquoise was already mixed on my palette.

My amaryllis had finally bloomed. Fighting the urge to write what took you so long a little late for Christmas on it. Was trying to take a page from the late great Charles Reid’s playbook when I painted this. Loosing some edges. Hard and soft edges. Really needs fresh paint for it.

Nap time. Starting Watercolor live 2023 tomorrow. Runs 10-9 every day for three days. I will really need a long nap on Sunday.

Margaret who hopes she’s ready! Xoxoxoxo

Haley is finally done

January 25, 2023January 26, 20236 Comments

The Very Vera chocolate pound cake overflow that I turned into cupcakes. They were actually better than the pound cake. Super soft and moist. At book club we all voted we liked my lemon Very Vera pound cake better. I bought her book just for the lemon pound recipes but it’s actually the same one on the back of the Swan Cake flour box. The cream pound cake with an extra teaspoon of vanilla and two teaspoons of lemon. Yummy.

Nap time. Starting Watercolor live 2023 tomorrow. Runs 10-9 every day for three days. I will really need a long nap on Sunday.

Margaret who hopes she’s ready! Xoxoxoxo

And I thought I had zero to do today

January 24, 2023Leave a comment

But NO I promised I would bake a chocolate pound cake for book club which is today not next Tuesday. Did I say I used up all the eggs yesterday duh. So off to the store. I always end up with a few cupcakes because my pan is only ten cups and the recipe is for a 12 cup pan. A delicious side benefit right?!