#30 Bluebonnet time

March 28, 2023March 30, 2023Leave a comment

Somewhere in the Texas hill country the bluebonnets are blooming. 11×15 fluid cp

The image. Swiped from @ericrhoads who held the worldwide pleinair last Thursday. That was so much fun they are doing it again. 4300 people showed up for it. There was even a group in England staying up late to join in. Somehow i dont think he will mind. Hmm somehow i lost the glow in the foreground. Oh well. I nailed it on the big trees.

First wash. This is a graded wash. You wet the area to be washed aka the sky in this one. Start at the top with thalo blue and cerulean and don’t add more color til the bottom when i added a shot of quin rose. Gives a really nice sky that lightens toward the bottom.

Here it is loosing its sheen. I forgot to take one of it dry sorry.

When i ran out of steam last night. as usual the colors are OFF. Does not matter where or how i take it they are off. Hmm maybe i should try my big camera. Its much darker and has lost alot of transparency.

Kind of handy you can see how i painted the trees to start. I used quin gold and quin rose for them. adding in transparent blues -cobalt ultramarine and thalo for shadows. The greens were made using chrome green and same w the same blues and cad yw med. Bluebonnets only bloom in spring aka right now so greens have to be springy greens.

Done for now though i have noticed a few things i might change.

I finally added some burnt sienna and some mixed orange to the trees as well as purples in the tree tops.

Bluebonnets done w the same colors. I tried splattering them w variety of brushes. I tried the chinese brush. None of them made me happy not the effect i was looking for.

I am so intrigued by the sago palms that have had their frozen dead leaves pruned off. I think CBS Sunday Morning show can use this for one if their suns don’t you?!!

Margaret ready for a nap xoxoxox

Remember this one?

March 25, 2023March 26, 2023Leave a comment

Hong Kong! Decided i liked it. My husband thinks its so much more interesting than the plein air tree. As he said what can you say its a tree?!

The beginning. To say i hit the pause button alot with this one would be an understatement. starting off soaking the paper w water which caused problems as in running and bleeding. 😵‍💫 Oddest looking first wash i have ever done. Mostly using flats and a fan brush. Mike dont behave like Jansen Chows did. Hmmm .

Adding some darks well i think we did. 🤔

Lots more color added. What are those things anyway??

When i stopped for the night. Well i couldn’t. Messed some more.

And now my husband likes it. Go figure. I did use alot of gouache in every color i had. The whole large light blue block on the middle is gouache.

Springtime in Paris

March 22, 2023Leave a comment

Just realized i have painted TWENTY FIVE paintings in the last two months. I think i needs a nap. And an art show. Lol.

First wash. Soaked the oage the. Added a cobalt sky, ultramarine and burnt sienna grey with a touch of alizarin for spring warmth according to Alex Hillkurtz leading the paint along. Raw Sienna and Burnt Sienna on the buildings

Thalo blue awning and windows. Funny how that bright blue disappears as the painting develops.

Adding darker greys same combo Building details that grey adding orange for reflections.

Lots of details added. Loved doing the balcony. And i always love drawing the lines on the buildings. really like these people. And could not resist the urge to add flowers on pots. Always in for a bit of splattering. Something liberating abt splattering.

Have to say that Alex Hillkurtz is a thoughtful teacher who loves Paris so much he moved there eight years ago. Have to agree its a magical spot. if u want to take a class from him he teaches on Domestika. Reasonable prices $10-15. Also does. Painting tours in other spots. He does great explanations leaving out nothing.

Have to say he tickled me. Didn’t know the names for the architectural details like cornices. Said he was not an architect. Most of the guys who teach classes like this are. However he is an urbandsketcher and loves drawing buildings, urbans spaces, and the people who inhabit them.

Margaret who is tired. No wonder 25 paintings should do it. xoxoxox

Fun with David R Smith

July 23, 2021July 23, 20212 Comments

Stay tuned for part two.

Never wear blue readers when you paint. Lots of fast slapping paint around. And splattering water to make dots in the damp paint. Then painting again.

Arches 280# cold press paper

Well who knew I would be painting rocks? But I did. I liked it so much I did two. Another Shopkeeparty class.

And then I took another longer class from David and his friend Bob Ross today. Another crazy fun class. He sweetened the class by giving a 20% discount. Now I am thinking abt buying the video. 😳😳😩

The first layer. Quin gold Andrew’s turquoise alizarin cobalt. Maybe ultramarine?! You can watch the cideo too on Shopkeepartys YouTube channel.

The photo. Just those plain rocks they use in landscaping yes those. If you wet them they are actually colors. Who knew!!

The second one on Hahnamuhle 140 Cezanne. And yes I wore the blue readers again like a dummy. Then I took them off and returned them to Costco. Nowhere on the wrapper did it say they turned everything yellow. But truly why didn’t I take them off. This one is better BUT just think what it would look like if I took off my blue readers DUH!!

Two for one. So this one counts for Friday too. Off to Atlanta tomorrow for the next week. plenty on my phone that you have not seen so I can continue my knitting.

Hate to leave this morning view out my back window but needs musts. Off I go tomorrow.

Hugs Margaret. Xoxoxox

Day 164 Sweating in Barcelona

August 26, 2020August 26, 20207 Comments

Another wild paint along with Vlad. Can’t wait for the next one Sunday. Painting boats. Love boat paintings

10×15″ Kilimanjaro 300#. I decided to use Kilimanjaro to see if it scraped like the nasty arches did.

The Arches scrapes great to do leaves, branches or grass. Maybe it will scrape for boat lines. Or I can use my dads antique arches that’s probably 20 years old. I know it scrapes great.

The photo. Kind of a nothing photo don’t you think except nice sunny light, umbrellas and a beautiful old building.

The value sketch

First wash- the water stage

Colors growing. Aka more first wash. Umbrellas really orange but odd it looks so red in this photo.

The second darker washes more pigment. The tea stage.

The last layers. Lots of milk. Aka thicker paint. I think mine moving be too thick.

And the way it is now. Kinda wishing I had not added the Browns and the grey trees on the left. Sometimes I get up in the morning and like them a lot better. We shall see right?!

Had fun drawing all over it with my white gel pen zip zip and always solid unlike white gouache.

Margaret ready for bed but has to watch one more episode of Schitts creek-my current binge. Soooo funny on Netflix’s. Watch more than one before you pass judgement. Xoxoxox

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 109 Cumberland

June 23, 20202 Comments

Half sheet Fabriano. 300#

Took a day long online class from Vlad yesterday. Have to say it was the best class EVER and I have two masters aka taken a lot of classes.

The photo

I have taken classes from some great art teachers Charles Reid and John Salimen who I would take more from if they were on line. Vlad just shares all his knowledge and the man knows ALOT!

I have had some teachers that spent the class trying to sell you their stuff. Annoying and not what I paid for. I have had other teachers that don’t tell you all the info to do what you are trying to do. Also annoying. I have had teachers who never explain things only demo and then want to fix your painting when he doesn’t like what you did. Annoying and NOT helpful.

Value study. Kinda like it a lot.

the sketchFirst wash.

He showed us how to do the sky. His approach is quite interesting. Three four colors all wet on wet. Lotsa water. Let it dry. I defy you to reproduce this sky.

Onto the next layers

The class was very interactive. We could talk to him and he could see what we were doing one at a time. I learned a lot. I even learned some new things about perspective. Two points. The vanishing point and the point of sight lines from the person taking the picture.

Jamie Oliver’s ez pizza and scones from his YouTube. His pizza is a dump pizza. Use what u have and the toppings I ised were delicious. Was not fond of the crust. Will use yeast dough next time and yes I will do it again. There’s also a very tasty pot of his minestrone soup from YouTube.

Then I cooked all morning today and painted all afternoon. So tired I can barely type.

Day 43 Koosje’s Killer Sketchbook Filler

April 26, 2020Leave a comment

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

Another day another palm

September 2, 20194 Comments

Didn’t mean to make the ocean so rough. Maybe it’s an inadvertent portent of Dorian out in the Atlantic. Poor Bahamas. So relieved it’s not us.

Same colors as yesterday. The straits of Florida are painted with peacock Cheap Joes Andrews Turquoise and Dioxzine purple. I also splattered with some of those colors. Soupy brush and tap the brush NOT the Ferrell.

I took advantage of the opaqueness of cad red and yellow light to tap some flowers over the foreground greenery.

Sky. Cerulean and fab off some of to make clouds add dabs of Dioxzine purple and dab them odd again with a dry wadded Kleenex.

Painted with my saber brush a size 8 isabey sable and my 10 Charles Reid Sable.

Superaquabee paper. Really love that paper. It dries flat when you close the sketchbook. You can also lift mistakes a bit.