David time

April 10, 2021Leave a comment

He was so cute I decided to write down some of the things that he did and said like he’s calling me Gaga. Who wouldn’t want to be as glamorous as Gaga without the tortured bit. I better step up my game.

The black and white sketch done with my micro uniball pen. In some ways I like this better. The grassy area bothers me a bit.

And since I had screwed up this page I decided to write down my activities which seemed to mainly consist of binge watching tv binge knitting and shopping. I was using gift certificates for a lot of my art store buying. Still have more to spend. Blicks and Binders had discontinued Daniel Smith Watercolors. What the heck?!

I drove to Roswell to the big Blick store a round trip of 64 miles across Atlanta traffic. Should have just gone to the Intown Blick on Peachtree. Only a few miles from my sons houses and they have almost everything that I want there. I don’t buy all that extra stuff at the other Blick.

One of the socks I binge knitted. I mean Christmas is coming right?

Margaret xoxoxox

The Gallant Lady

March 17, 20213 Comments

The Gallant Lady is done for the moment but thinking about working on the sand some more. I put those dark bands almost evenly spaced. Oops.

I was doing a mad online paint along with Randy Hale. This 12×16″ painting was done in 45 minutes. Oh my. A wild chase. Lots of wet juicy color.

The Gallant Lady is a famous 1997 Hurricane Mitch shipwreck off Bimini in the Bahamas. You can read more about her on this link. Hard to believe it’s fallen apart so quickly.

Love the way my sky turned out. It was done with ultramarine of cobalt and then opera was dropped in along with raw umber for the greys.

Randy has a great sky technique. I am terrible at painting skies. But this one I actually like. He’s doing a lot of online teaching as are multiple other artists right now. Such a gift to all of us. Access to these great paintings tees from our own homes.

First layers on. The sand is quin gold burnt sienna and raw umber. I should try to make it look less regular but not sure I care enough to try.

I think I used quin burnt orange on the boat or quin sienna along with raw umber. I don’t know why I don’t use raw umber more because I really like the color.

Water is Thalo blue applied painting downward. Also cobalt teal watered

down like tea. The purple is added after its dry. Coming along. I like that most of the color is transparent. Love transparency in watercolor. Gives a lovely glow.

Darker greens Thalos and purples added to give depth.

Done for now.

This kitty is off to get spayed tomorrow. Don’t ya wanna come help me catch her?!! Hard to believe she used to be a rack of bones. She’s a gorgeous cat now. Don’t you want her. All neutered with shots!!

Margaret xoxoxo

Here Kitty Kitty

December 10, 2020December 11, 20203 Comments

A Torbie aka tiger cat w orange on it. Took an online zoom class with Liz Chaderton on shopkeeparty.com the photo

Tacking the paper down. A half sheet of Kilimanjaro 300. Have to order more from cheap Joe’s.

The drawing You would think as many cats as I have drawn this would be a piece of cake. Nope.

The palette opera rose, perlene maroon, gamboge, Quin gold, Thalo blue, Cheap Joe’s Andrew’s turquoise, and ultramarine blue. My fine mister spray bottle.

The eye first. Painting wet on wet. Keeping the edges wet so they won’t get hard edge.

Starting to look like a cat. Trying to keep those edges wet. Eeek

painting fast w an 8 sable to keep the edges soft. A fine spray mister to soften edges of ears.

Almost done. Adding the dark layer.

Touch up time and then add whiskers with negative painting and white gouache using my saber brush. Hmm I actually used my loosely goose brush from cheap Joe’s a skinny saber brush.

So far for now. Let’s see what I think in the am.

Big thanks to That’s What Friends are For for $30 certificates to spay neuter and rabies shots for the kitties and to Dr Bagshaw and his fantastic staff at Edgefield Veterinary Services for doing the job for that price. I took them some fresh home made banana bread. Still have to catch one of the tigers and take her.

Margaret whose kitties are mad at her since she had them neutered yesterday. Three sore tummies and one sore bottom. Ouchie. Xoxoxo

Day 215 Kitties Cleanup

October 16, 2020October 16, 20201 Comment

Kitties cleanup after breakfast this am. I was quite daring and left four of them inside last night. Nobody knocked on the bedroom door to wake us up this morning. However they were excited to go outside and eat breakfast. Tootsie Weenie and Hallie will let me pet them a little while they eat.

They seem to like “inside” and especially the tiled laundry room. So far no poo anywhere.

Namiki Fude so much fun to draw with but that Noodlers Eelskin ink which is suppose to be permanent smears even after its dry. 😩😩😩

Stillman and Birn alpha Caran d’ache Neocolor ii

Margaret ready to eat some dinner. Homemade butternut soup. Hope it’s tasty. Xoxox

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.

Margaret xoxoxo tucking into my Ina Garten Bianca pizza.

Day 124 Zoe

July 6, 2020Leave a comment

she’s not made an appearance I my current sketchbook and it’s almost full so thought it was fine.

Lamy Ef. Might need to add some background on the left. What do u think.

No Vlad paint along today. I was all set. He’s sick. Hope he’s well by Tuesday. He lives in Florida – not a good place to be right now.

Creepy guy I drew a month or so ago. One of Danny Gregory’s mugshot sketches. Eeek.

Margaret ready for Grantchester. Xoxoxox

Day 101 tv Henry

June 10, 20202 Comments

Tv time. Always the easiest time to draw Henry. I think I forgot to finish his feet. Thought he would put his feet back in position but never did.

Sad he’s growing up. Eight in a few weeks. When did that happen?!

Does it count as urban sketching since the neighbors house is in the window?!

Lamy Ef, noodler eelskin Ink, stillman and birn Alpha.

Margaret packing up for home. Xoxoxox

Day 70 National Show

May 23, 2020June 3, 20201 Comment

Loosing my mind entering but Gypsy arrived at the National Transparent Watercolor Show this week. Still can’t believe she got in. Summertime got in the South Carolina Watermedia Show and thanks to my friend Colettes reminder I entered it in the National Watercolor Show. Cross all your fingers and toes it gets in and that Gypsy wins a big juicy prize.

Makes me wish I had finished this one today. Pepe’s the oldest eating establishment in Key West but sinuses were feeling stuffed up so nursed them and binges some tv shows today. Already working on a headache is not conducive to painting under stress especially palm trees which are always tough.

Edie on Amazon. LOVED it. Now watching Silent Witness. Only 18 episodes to go on Brit Box. 🤗

Also watched Inferno on AMC about some nuts releasing a pandemic to thin the earths population with Tom Hanks riding into the rescue. The Dan Brown spin offs always are wonderful for watching major art hot spots in Europe vicariously like Florence in Inferno.

Margaret is still feeling a little stuffed up. Xoxoxox

Day 46 some urban sketching and drawing mugshots

April 29, 2020April 29, 2020Leave a comment

Always enjoy drawing mugshots with Danny at today’s sbsdrawingparty.

Here’s the culprit. Namiki Fude. Love the way it turned out.

Urban sketching at the post office in Evans when I went to drop off mail in the outside box.

A cute Boston Bull who patiently waited with her dad while we all did a curbside pick up with Augusta locally grown.

Darn this is the shoe that kicked my beloved flip flop Out. I forgot to chronicle it. Guess I better fix that. Traveling shoe part 2

Margaret xoxoxo

Day 45 Today’s pile

April 28, 2020April 28, 20204 Comments

Drawing sheep with Danny Gregory on a video during #sbsdrawingparty at noon on YouTube. Always like drawing animals. Then I got the bright idea to “paint” them with one of my soupy teabags. Namiki Fude pen

6. Draw your keys. No idea what these keys are for so afraid to toss. And 7. draw with your non dominant hand which did not turn out too badly. I did use a pigma pen so I wouldn’t smear the ink.

10. Draw your keys from memory. And 11. Draw a pile of clutter. Time to clean up or maybe I can make the pile teeter if I add more.

22/23. What I ate yesterday. U didn’t see all those snickerdoodles.

48/49. What I bought last week. Really just groceries and some things from Amazon. Did I say the birds were hungry?!!

16/17. Draw blobby doodles and turn them into something. Hmm. I do like the last page. First one not so much.

Only 24 pages left to draw in Koosjes Killer Sketchbook Filler book. 😱😱 It’s a small book so maybe I can get it done soon. A Fabriano Venezia Journal. Love the red hard cad cover based on bricks at San Marcos in Venice. Fabriano has been making paper in Italy since the 1200s.