Oops I did it again

March 23, 2021Leave a comment

Two paintings in one day and a nice long nap on the sofa when I finished.

I painted and drew from 9 am to almost 5! Guess my artistic block is over. Amazing how a vaccine takes the pressure off! Hope you get yours soon.

The drawing. 300 # cold press Kilimanjaro. Nice paper! Masking fluid was added to reserve the white of the whiskers.

Off to a wild start with Liz Chadderton. You too can paint a cute Easter bunny. She makes her animal paintings look so easy but let me tell you they aren’t. My paper kept drying out making hard edges. Sigh.

Almost done. This only took 40 minutes and about forty years of practicing. Only 3 colors used. French ultramarine, burnt sienna or burnt umber and opera pink. Masking fluid on the whiskers.

And that’s a wrap. Back to my nap. 😴 Margaret xoxoxo

La Tour Eiffel

March 22, 2021Leave a comment

Done for the moment. Sunday Funday with Ian Fennelly. Who could resist drawing the Eiffel Tower with Ian??! Really enjoyed it despite I wore my hand out inking it. Should have taken a lunch break. One of my fav places in Paris esp when lit up at night.

I sat under it on one Saturday nite drawing it. Heaven for someone who loves to sketch.

Of course I can’t find the picture of the sketch right now. A double page spread too.

The photo

The sketch. Tombow time.

Firming it up with permanent ink markers. Like the lettering but little matchbox cars. Oops. Oh well. Can’t have it all, right?!

First layer of watercolor. Four colors. Winsor Newton Brown Madder, WN Cerulean, WN Prussian Blue, and M Graham Azo Orange. Oh a dab of ivory black used as a grey.

Close up. Yummy colors. The weird brown red is the the brown madder.

Adding more tombows. Coloring with the marker end. A range of greys and black. Second sweep with watercolor. Cross hatching underway with permanent fine liners .05, .03 and .01.

Finished exhale or it got a little dark. One good thing abt fluid hotpress. You can wipe some of the color off.

Here it is now. My fav bit are the cobble stones near the crosswalk. No idea why but there it is.

But this one is still my fav.

Next Sunday Sacre Couer!

Margaret watching Bull again. Not listening to it again. Xoxoxox

The Road Less Traveled

March 21, 2021Leave a comment

Done. For sale 15×20″ cold press 300# Kilimanjaro

Love my trees. Painted with Daniel Smith Payne’s grey a yellow mix used for the trees yellow ochre Holbein lilac and a cad yellow light. A few bits of cobalt cerulean mix.

Oh and most importantly painted w a saber brush and a dagger brush uncontrollable but make wonderful lines for trees.

The snow was done w cobalt. I tried adding cerulean but always get a nasty opaque grey with it so wiped it off. Scrubby scrubby.

Other colors used burnt sienna burnt umber and Prussian blue in his jeans.

I got carried away having fun painting the trees on the right. Finally decided to wipe some out by scrubbing with a paint brush. They are not the focal point.

My morning greeting. Anyone need a kitty kitty?!!

Margaret who can’t let them starve. Xoxoxo

Every day a sunrise

March 4, 2021Leave a comment

Making mist in the blue ridge. Arches 280#cold press. Cheap Joe’s American Journey paint.

Took photos of the process today. But it might be easier if you wanted David R. Smiths YouTube videos. This is the short one. Then the longer more involved one. Or you could sign up for his online class next Tuesday. Should be fun. His students give him rave reviews.

First layer wet the paper add yellow sun red ring and cobalt. Spray it with a spatters spray. Dry it.

First row of trees. Wet under the trees and spatter again. Lift some color form the bottom w a thirsty brush. Aka dry brush which will suck up the paint making the mist. Dry after the colors run and mix.

Repeat on the left.

And so on and on. Repeat repeat. Repeat. Getting darker with each layer. Load bottom of trees w water. Paint the trees. Spatter tops w water. Lift some off bottoms w a thirsty brush. And dry.

Last layer is the darkest. It’s wet here.

I lifted some with my thirsty brush and this one is dry.

Reflections in L’ Isle Sur La Sorges

November 17, 2020November 17, 2020Leave a comment

Aka France Evidently the town in Avignon is a lot like Venice w Canals and boats. Also near Vaucluse which I live near another Vaucluse. Guess the French Huguenots settled the one near me. A lot did settle in South Carolina.

So far but as usual a WIP a work on progress. Someone please tell me why I hate them when I am done painting three four hours and always like them better in the morning!!?

Vlad paint along Sunday. One more paintalong next Sunday before he takes a winter holiday break.

The photo

I think I need more shadows in mine and an oranger pinker roof. A few more darks in the foreground water. Try to lift some lost highlights. Mr Clean to the rescue I hope.

The drawing

300 lb fabriano rough paper half sheet 15×22. Really don’t like this paper. Maybe I will repaint it tomorrow on Kilimanjaro. The fabriano just sucks up paint making it look pale.

First wash. Always a wild ride with Vlad. Five colors. Yellow ochre alizarin cobalt cad orange. and neutral tint or as he calls it emergency mix.

The whole thing is painted with the same mix of paint and water.

Moving along second wash. Usually we paint everything from the first wash thru each layer but not this time.

Adding greens and darks. Still only a few more Colors. Indigo burnt sienna burnt umber

And here we are as of now. Spent most of the day waiting for the Carpet cleaner to come to clean the sofa the kitties pooed on. They ate now litter trained and e sofa will be covered up as soon as it dries. Aka no more kitty poo.

Margaret tired from not doing a whole lot. I did bake a quiche full of chopped veggies. Does that count?!! And moved stuff out of the way of the carpet cleaner. 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 203 Paris Awnings

October 15, 2020May 19, 20212 Comments

so far. Half sheet Kilimanjaro 300 #. Really like that paper. Need to order more. One sheet left. Eeek.Paint along with Vladislav Yesileyev

Vlads photo

So complicated. A famous French cafe near Notre Dame and the Sorbonne. Just drawing the balconies was SHOOT me now please.

First washes. Wow that was mad. And a lot of mud colorful mud but mud.

And more and more things paintted. We flew through the cars.

And now. Still have to work on the people but I decided to make a quiche for dinner.

Yummy.

And knit a bit. At the rate I am going an inch or two a night I won’t be done with this scarf til October. Christmas is coming, right?!!

Margaret xoxoxo

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.