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 42 – From the corner of my sofa

The Days drawijngs. Draw your weekend plans. Not much planned but cooking and art. Still getting over my bronchitis. Blue uniball pen and watercolor pencils. I stumbled across Morgan from Sketchbookskool drawing love today. Memories of home.

Soooo of course I had to draw the huge red Maple in my front yard. The beaver ate the one thatwould have been on the right side of the house. The maple Is three stories tall!!

Namiki fude pen lent itself well to this drawing. Title page of my first journal book filled in a record three weeks. The skeletons came from Juliana Coles when I bought my pirate cat painting frim her. Love the skeleton.

And me playing at drawing myself as an Egon Schiele sketch. Alwaus loved his ink drawings. Namiki Fude again.

Margaret ready for bed. Busy day again tomorrow. Xoxoxo

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 33 Never

Eat a large chocolate bar. It will keep you up most of the night. But oh was it good.

I took another photo of The Farm using my Ott light to light it up. Much more accurate photo. Can’t wait til Saturday for the next class.

Drawing with Koosje. A corner of the living room really my den.

Lamy Stillman and Birn Alpha.

We drew masks with Danny at noon. Now we have to pick one out and make a paper bag mask.

I had to write down what I thought they were saying. That was fun. Can you find the Covid monster?! Lamy Safari Stillman and Birn Alpha. Only five spreads left but I got a new one from Amazon. Hurrah.

Sweet Ilaina. Missing my painting peeps.

Digging around for my 140 # rough press Fabriano I found this. Always liked it. Still have the photo to finish it. Full sheet on Waterman cold press I think.

Got some decent pics of the Downy that hit the window this am. So pretty.

Not sure what he is but cute. A sparrow?! Where’s the bird book?!

Loves this female cardinal on the thistle feeder. Adoreable.

Distancing in SC

Margaret ready for bed despite my excellent afternoon nap while watching Mary Berry at Highclere Castle on YouTube. Zzzz

Xoxoxox😘

Margaret xoxoxo

Day 30 Recipes

These are always fun to do but the squares got really wonky on me today. I decided I would only draw things I could see on the coffee table. Yes it’s quite the mess. But I do like these little snap shots.

Started writing down recipes. Still have two more to do but got sidetracked talking to mom for TWO hours. She said her arm got tired. Both arms. Well she is 94!! 🤔🤔

Did I post this yesterday?! It’s time people it’s time. Hmm oh wait it’s always time right now isn’t it?!

Margaret Xoxoxox

Day 26

And I thought it was Day 27 hmmm

This am with Koosje. Draw your shoes up close. I actually painted this but no photo and I hate to disturb Zoe whose snoozing in my lap. Micro Uniball Lamy Safari stillman and birn Alpha.

She’s had an exhausting day today. Went for a ride around. No human contact don’t worry.

And colored pencils with Danny at noon. I drew my Nikon. Waiting for a sunny afternoon to take some bird photos. Had to wash the sliding windows too.

Used three or four pencils. Blue orange yellow and red. No five. Purple too. Fun technique. Wild coloring.

And this was waiting for me in the mail box. Woohoo. Bought my pirate queen Comtesse Chloe Le Chat: Corsair Extrodinaire from Juliana Coles who posted them on Facebook. Love the words too. “In Times like this the Heroine takes her place. Batten the hatches. Fly the Colors!! ” perfect for the pandemic.

And look at all the swag that came with it. I might love her – the cat and Juliana. 🤗 Chloe is now in quarantine airing out for a few days but I can admire her every time I walk by her on the kitchen counter near the hall door.

Woohoo.

Margaret watching Maine cabin masters. Batten the hatches!! Fly the colors!!xoxoxo

Sketchbookskool drawing party

Yesterday You try drawing with your none dominant and see how well yours turn out. But a lot of fun. I switched from a fine Pitt pen to the brush pen. You also do it as a contour aka look at your hand while you draw. All things considered these turned out well.

Today A thick and a thin line. Used a blue pilot pen for the thick line and a micro uniball. Interesting look. Might do another with the brush pen and fine point. Bytw for some reason the pilot and the uniball just smear with an index finger doe interesting shadows in my stillman and birn Alpha- my pandemic sketchbook.

One last page while I was waiting for Danny to start an odd bird I never see. I will look it up when I get over being tired from my 4:3o wake up to get to Publixs by 7 am. Then hauling all the groceries and the endless washing and wiping. Just goes on and on and on.

This downy woodpecker hit my window. Hope it’s ok. Was worried the cat would get him. He’s just gorgeous.

Speaking of cats. Buying this from Juliana Coles. Soooo excited. Love her art work and her Pirate art.

One last note cause my youngest bossy son said to do this:

My son who hates forwarded emails said this was one of the most useful

Things he had seen about the virus and that I should post it to Facebook so here it is!

From a former Respiratory therapist: save this treatment plan just in case-excellent!

CORONA Common Sense

Since they are calling on Respiratory therapist to help fight the Corona virus, and I am a retired one, too old to work in a hospital setting. I’m gonna share some common sense wisdom with those that have the virus and trying to stay home. If my advice is followed as given you will improve your chances of not ending up in the hospital on a ventilator. This applies to the otherwise generally healthy population, so use discretion.

1. Only high temperatures kill a virus, so let your fever run high. Tylenol, Advil. Motrin, Ibuprofen etc. will bring your fever down allowing the virus to live longer. They are saying that ibuprophen, advil etc will actually exacerbate the virus. Use common sense and don’t let fever go over 103 or 104 if you got the guts. If it gets higher than that take your tylenol, not ibuprophen or advil to keep it regulated. It helps to keep house warm and cover up with blankets so body does not have to work so hard to generate the heat. It usually takes about 3 days of this to break the fever.

2. The body is going to dehydrate with the elevated temperature so you must rehydrate yourself regulaly, whether you like it or not. Gatorade with real sugar, or pedialyte with real sugar for kids, works well. Why the sugar? Sugar will give your body back the energy it is using up to create the fever. The electrolytes and fluid you are losing will also be replenished by the Gatorade. If you don’t do this and end up in the hospital they will start an IV and give you D5W (sugar water) and Normal Saline to replenish electrolytes. Gatorade is much cheaper, pain free, and comes in an assortment of flavors

3. You must keep your lungs moist. Best done by taking long steamy showers on a regular basis, if your wheezing or congested use a real minty toothpaste and brush your teeth while taking the steamy shower and deep breath through your mouth. This will provide some bronchial dialation and help loosen the phlegm. Force your self to cough into a wet wash cloth pressed firmly over your mouth and nose, which will cause greater pressure in your lungs forcing them to expand more and break loose more of the congestion.

4. Eat healthy and regularly. Gotta keep your strength up.

5. Once the fever breaks, start moving around to get the body back in shape and blood circulating.

6. Deep breath on a regular basis, even when it hurts. If you don’t it becomes easy to develope pneumonia. Pursed lip breathing really helps. That’s breathing in deep and slow then exhaling through tight lips as if your blowing out a candle, blow until you have completely emptied your lungs and you will be able to breath in an even deeper breath. This helps keep lungs expanded as well as increase your oxygen level.

7. Remember that every medication you take is merely relieving the symptoms, not making you well.

8. If your still dying go to ER.

I’ve been doing these things for myself and my family for over 40 years and kept them out of the hospital, all are healthy and still living today.

Thank you all for sharing. We gotta help one another.”

All This Sounds logical to me. One of my favorite things to do when I get congested is steam my few brains out over a very steamy dishwasher on the rinse cycle with a beach towel over my head and the gap in the door. ALWAYS clears my chest up.

Hugs Margaret who may have a date with her dishwashers drying cycle. Slight case of asthma today. Xoxoxo Stay Safe!!

A Hero for Our Times

I drew this while I watched his speech. I find the man so soothing. He explains so well and reassured the public. You really should watch him if you are in a panic.

Filling in the journal page.

Tweaking

He really is quite yellow or olive as to be expected of a man of Mediterranean descent.

Inktense and derwent wc pencils. Stillman and birn Alpha

The beginning.

Augusta now mostly on lock down no bars no restaurants no salons. Just essential services.

Margaret baking cookies next up bread. Xoxoxo #staysafe #cuomoforpresident

Today I painted.

Not the usual a journal page a la Juliana Coles style. I have taken two or three classes from her. Ps her classes are fascinating and cathartic.

It’s not done but thought I would share it with you. I woke up thinking about this. When you do that you have to make it.

Going to write the number of cases world wide and the deaths on it sooner or later.

The start. I journaled across a piece of Canson watercolor board with a soft pencil and smeared it.

Circled random words with a grease pencil. And added yellow paint. Wish I had a nasty green yellow but nope.

Notes on possible words to use.

Adding words with a grease pencil. Dots were done with the end of a paint brush dipped in paint.

Improving

Notes from the news. Reminds me of watching Hurricane Dorian last August.

Using my Pentel brush pen to add lettering like on his chin. A white gel pen on the scarf and eyes.

Now. Trying to take away some cuteness. Paint on eyes was dabbed on with a finger then swirled around with the end of the paint brush. White paint lettering on scarf so it shows more.

Painted with that cheap acrylic paint. The kind in the small bottles. It has a tooth you can write on unlike the expensive stuff.

Next up cases and death toll world wide.

Try it. Very cathartic.

In the meantime. Knitting. Yarn at my feet on the stool.

Sock progressing slowly but looks like I will have plenty of time to finish this pair.

Margaret whose going to be sticking closer to home.

Shhh. Don’t tell the teachers.

Done I think but I have been known to be wrong. I actually measured her eyes dropping verticals and horizontals with a long ruler. Something I never do. Shhh. Don’t tell the teachers.

I also softened the right edge of her face using a nylon round. Tough brush. Scrub scrub scrub and it keeps its point. You could have cut an apple with that razor sharp edge.

Oh I softened her top lip. Why you say?! Keeps it from looking cut and pasted. if you don’t soften the edge of the upper lip it looks cut and pasted on.

She doesn’t look quite so much like she would eat you for dinner. All that softening of edges helped with the ferocious look.

Saturday. Eeek. Tilted eye and nasty background that doesn’t coordinate on both sides.

Back to that right annoying eye. Actually used some white gouache mixed with a dab of quin gold to pick out the highlights.

Oh and those three dots on her eyelashes – all gouache mixed with quin gold!!

Margaret watching the election returns. Xoxoxo