Day 79 – Venice

The Grand Canal Venice. All this travel is wearing me out. Aka and now I am Tahred.

Off to the races aka paintalong with Vlad Yesilesev today . I was rotten. I didn’t do the value sketch because I was drawing this largish painting. 15×15. Rough press Fabriano.

The photo.

First wash. Whew that was exhausting but I like it so far.

Vlad has us screen shot his value sketch so I had it anyway.

And then we were almost done. Zip zap. I lifted some of the water. It was getting to dark.

Here’s how it looks now but I still need to work on the buildings on the right. Too tired to care right now.

Worked on this a bit. Darkened the walls.

Here’s what it looked like. It still needs a couple more things but mostly done.

This is the next paint a long with Vlad Yesilesev. I wish I could make it but in Atlanta for a birthday. The big first one for my sweet grandson David. Can’t wait. And I have a very similar photo I took in Bayeux France so really wish I could make this one. Poop.

Yesterday’s baking and it was delicious.

Margaret ready for bed. Xoxox

Day 57 Sat= recipes

Especially when I have another pile of facemasks to sew. Thank goodness they are done. 36 so far.

My favorite bread recipe. So good. Saw Martha make these last Sunday on cbs Sunday Morning Show. Looked too delicious so I wrote the recipe down but think I would sub raisins and cranberries. I have plenty of those. Thought these sounded good til Martha showed me hers. I do like a good oatmeal cookie. And I am quite fond of keeping a large bowl of this kind of salad in the fridge. Did I remember to get cucumbers NOPE. Trip to the store required. With a mask of course.

Margaret Tahred. Xoxoxox

Day 43 Koosje’s Killer Sketchbook Filler

A fun live class today. And oh my were we busy. We drew 16 pages but have ideas for 34 more pages all neatly enumerated in our journals.

The title page. Just a small 4×6″ Venezia Fabriano 90# paper journal. Had it for years and never used it. It’s day has come.

Two Blind Contour Selfies done with 2 Crayola crayons. NO mirror. Put your finger on your nose and trace your face with the finger as u draw it. WHAT?! Not so bad considering and quite interesting to try.

P. 4 Draw the contents of your purse. A veritable jumble but also fun. So much stuff I missed drawing my sunglasses in the pile-all THREE pairs!! 😳 Namiki Fude. Really having fun with that pen.

Draw a musician. Micron uniball. Wish I had used my Namiki Fude. Cal Scott is quite the guitar player. Excellent job!!

We had two more opportunities to draw Cal and listen to him. Did NOT like my brush tip pit pen. I think I will toss it. The tip is all splayed and chewed. Wonder how that happened.

Last time drawing Cal with the Namiki Fude. Like the lines MUCH better.

Draw your shoe four times- each time faster. Five minutes to start. Last time 15 seconds. What?!

Added the story of my poor lost Chaco flip flop which I actually found in a parking lot over in Columbia FIVE DAYS LATER. Still wearing them. Fav want weather shoes.

Draw a double spread of various things around the house. Fun. Lamy Safari!!

Drawing Meditation. Focus on the wrinkles in your hand. Micro Uniball

Sixteen pages in TWO hours. Only 34 more pages to finish. What?!!

I decided to add the background colors.

Margaret whose Tahred. Xoxoxo

Day 36 entertainment never

Stops around here. Took another paintalong with Vlad Yesileyev. Maybe I will like this better tomorrow.

Vlads. Better pic on Fb tomorrow.

For some reason I seem determined to cross every t and dot every eye though I have known from freshman art that’s a no no.

My value study.

Loved his explanations that surround it.

    Use the biggest brush you can.
    Heads are on the horizon line.
    Start drawing and painting in the middle.
    We are not cameras. We don’t see everything. We focus on what we think is important.
    Give an accident a chance.
    Use your eraser too much you are an illustrator.
  • First sketch. I had to eliminate quite a few things.
  • First wash now that it’s been thinned out.
  • Coming along. is Vlads.
  • Margaret who need a nap now or to go to bed.
  • Day 33 Lemonade

    Is what you get when you paint over a nonpermanent ink pen. I forgot I went over the letters with a pilot varsity pen which is NOT apermanent. 😫😫😫

    I do have plans to fix this so stay tuned. Sometimes they don’t get done in one day.

    Zoe actually held her pose for me because she was giving me the jrt stare which means she wants something. And I wasn’t giving it to her aka outside Now. She really wanted to go out and bark at her nemesis two very tall Pointers the neighbor dogs.

    I thought coloring the background red was a good idea. It was too pale so I had to keep coloring it and then I added orange which helped.

    But these do look better colored. ESP like the jrt head colored orange too.

    Margaret ready to watch some comedy on tv to be happy. Xoxoxo

    Day 23

    Sbsdrawingparty on YouTube.

    Well shoot meant to post this yesterday. Sorry. Hope you and yours are well.

    Spent most of the day sewing face masks. Not my favorite thing to sew. All those little fiddly parts like sewing doll clothes. Have a grand total of ten done. 😫😫😫 and I want to make about 60. Obviously not my thing.

    Did I say I have boxes of ribbons for my art quilts and regular quilts-Best of Show and lots of Blue ribbons in every category.

    Google my name you are bound to find one of my art quilts. The reason I say this it’s not like I don’t know how to sew well. But those face masks. 😫😫😫

    So maybe I will bake cookies for first responders after I finish the ones I promised?

    Lamy Safari pen, watercolor, stillman and birn Alpha

    Sunrise where one of my sons live.

    Margaret who should get out of bed and get going. Xoxoxox

    It’s Saturday

    Ilaina hot press fluid paper 15×22″

    What a gorgeous day today. And lots more fun going to life modeling in Aiken then a spot of urban sketching after in Graniteville. Discovered a whole street of about 20 Gothic cottages and a church. All different colors in a row like a planned community with a church gleaming in the autumn sun. Thought it could be a great place to go urban sketching or Plein air painting on a lovely autumn day.

    My drawing. I actually drew her twice. First time just from waist up. So I flipped the board and redrew her because I wanted to include the lovely curve of her hip.

    There went forty minutes!!😵

    Second break. Going for it. Only have about an hour left to paint.

    I managed to fiddle away the first two thirds and had to paint fast to finish. Still not pleased with her eye. But it’s done. Ilaina loves it so must be ok. Right?!

    My friend Ruth said it looked like some delicious cotton candy.🤗

    Flesh cad red light and cad yellow light. Lots of alizarin crimson for darks on her skin. Shadows of more alizarin Andrews turquoise and dioxzine purple

    Hair ultramarine and burnt umber w a bit of burnt sienna for red.

    Background Andrews turquoise French yellow ochre.

    Margaret who walked Alie today and is not Tahred. Xoxoxo

    Day 2119 Van Gogh did NOT commit suicide

    Auvers Van Goghs Blue Church on the hill my version

    But I knew that.

    Auver from the Oise River Bridge. Ravouxs Auberge (Inn) where Van Gogh died on far left

    This article based on a forensic analysis of his death says otherwise.

    Van Goghs famous blue church

    Of course I can’t get to my sketchbook and share a map of Auvers. It’s in Augusta and I am not.

    Go on a Viking Seine River cruise in the winter and they will take you to Auvers since Monets Giverny near Normandy closes in October.

    Margaret in Atlanta with the grandkids. Xoxoxox

    Day 2070 Problems Problems

    Decided to add this lady to my sketchbook as a memory page.

    She meets me at the back sliding door and peers thru the glass this way and that as if to say are you there. Where’s my breakfast??? It’s very funny.

    Hahnemuhle Journal twisbee pen Charles Reid palette colors and Vlads neutral tint which is dioxzine purple indigo and burnt sienna.

    Advantage of using his neutral tint or making your own is that you can shift it to blue purple or brown maki g it a flexible grey that Vlad never paints without it on his palette.

    Miss squirrel earlier added some ground under her feet with the neutral tint so the nice highlights on them would show. And splattered it a bit with the neutral tint.

    wouldn’t let me upload these pics yesterday. 😵😵😵

    Seems I have run out of storage on WordPress. I either have to Del a lot of old photos which is oh so difficult to do or pay $200 more a year for unlimited storage. Groan.

    wouldn’t let me upload this one either so added it today.

    So while I am deciding I Del a lot of my friends nudes and I bet the pages look like Swiss cheese. Sorry friends and dear readers. I still love you.

    Here’s the final painting again. Do wish I had left the metal strip on the side.

    That freed up a little space.

    wondering why I didn’t do this one but I think I will maybe on the opposite page.

    Oh. Went to see Anne Hathaway’s new movie The Hustle. Funny well only occasionally. Best part was the French Riviera scenery the French music and Anne’s fabulous clothes.

    Skip it and go see Poms. Much funnier.

    Margaret In p189 of Redemption. Only 200+ pages to go.

    Ttyl. Xoxoxo

    Day 1061 -how many more?! And a beach party!!

    Still quite a few!!! 🤗We have no shortage of talking heads in this country. They offer great drawing practice. If you can pause your tv it even takes the pressure off of trying to draw them quickly. 

    And all they do is talk. And talk and talk. 

    And pass a lot of laws that half the country don’t like no matter which side you are on making the other half is unhappy! 

    The Decatur Businesses Beach Party in downtown Decatur on the square. Ponce de Leon became a giant beach!!  Free beach buckets, beach balls and balloons oh and washable tattoos for all!! 

    An amazing stilt walker. The kids had no idea how he could be that tall! Several people on top of each other was their best guess. 

    And there he goes legging it down the block or should I say stilting down the block?!


    And a rare shot of the old Decatur Courthouse with sun on its face. It usually sits in the shade. Bytw this is now an art gallery. 

    Off to play with my grandkids. Hugs!!