Naomi

November 15, 20192 Comments

Was a naughty girl and had to stay after school.

Couldn’t be me could it?!

The very bad sketch. What’s with the hands and that shoe??!

At the end of the portrait session. Was thinking about future mulch pile for her but after looking at her a while and talking to Ruth abt her after I got home I realized some of the problems Ruth was having at life modeling where causing my problems.

Tomorrow I will lift some highlights out and work on her braids some more.

Tape and Mr Clean are my friends once Naomi is dry.

Margaret off to bed soon. Gotta draw some talking heads manana.

Xoxoxox

It’s Saturday

November 9, 20193 Comments

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

Paint flinging

October 25, 2019November 5, 20195 Comments

Calling this post paint flinging because my neighbor Drew and I were both splattering each other with our drippy mess. He kept making it rain on me. So I returned the favor. Dangerous painting near Drew. Rofl.

Went to portrait painting today at USC Aiken. Once again can’t decide if she’s done. Why won’t she tell me what she thinks?! I will say the young lady in the painting loved this watercolor. She’s a art student and got recruited to model at the last minute. Poor thing was grimacing trying to hold the pose. Felt bad for her.

First break- Sketch. 15×22″ Think it’s on cold press fluid paper. Just a piece that was floating around in the pile. 2B pencil

Was off to a slowww start redrawing her head and body more than once. Finally drew her from a photo on my phone.

Next break. We painted for about two hours in total. Raw umber and Andrews Turquoise underpainting. Used a lot of alizarin for shadows. Sometimes with burnt sienna. Also quin gold since she was quite yellow.

Third break Adding more shadows with more burnt sienna and alizarin plus dixozine purple. Blacks and greys are burnt umber and ultramarine blue.

And THE END! She had a large drip under her chin which I wiped off when I got home with a piece of Mr Clean. Gave her her nice young chin back. She has plenty of years before she gets a double chin I hope!!

Margaret packing for Daufuskie island trip. Xoxoxox

Day 2106 In Memoriam

July 3, 2019July 3, 20197 Comments

Of our dear friend and fabulous artist Rachel Miller who left this earth Sunday far too early. A sketch of her as our model at Dr Sketchys. Her she is as Marian the librarian. One of the founding members and first director of the Augusta Burlesque group Dirty South.

Rachel was a talented linguist with NSA fluently speaking multiple languages including French Libyan Somali and three others. Do you know to be an NSA linguist you have to be able to be fluent in a new language within six weeks! She was brilliant. She was retired Air Force, a gourmet cook and caterer, terrific watercolor artist, a twin, and above all beloved mother and wife. Those are just a few of her many talents.

She was a bright star in our lives and will be greatly missed by her legions of friends too.

My fast take on Rachel as Marian the Librarian. Probably a five minute sketch.

And here we are jamming it up at one of the Doctor Sketchys. The lovely Ilaina short me and outrageously fun Rachel.

Her memorial is tomorrow at 6.

from her husband Frank.

A memorial stop-on-by, share-your-Rachel-moment service for my wife Rachel M Miller will be held Wednesday, 3 July, starting at 6PM. Because some friends are still flying in, it will probably go beyond 8PM. It will be held at River Place Condominiums in the clubhouse. This is where her sister Jessica Yu lives and where we’ve had some memorable parties. There is no dress code so come as you are. Some are bringing food, some their own liquor to toast her, others want to share some of her paintings, but I’m sure all have a story.

There are two guest-access parking levels at River Place Condos. There’s also some parking lots nearby open to the public after hours.

Her candle burned at both ends it will not last the night but ah my friends she cast a lovely light. – My rewrite of The Edna St Vincent Millay poem.

Margaret Xoxoxoxo

Day 2104 A trend

June 30, 20193 Comments

Of ink sketches. No ideas why the pic is not brighter since I took it in bright sunlight. Marilyn Hartley watching the professor paint. The one on the right looks just like her. Forget the left one.

Lamy EF. Noodlers Eelskin Ink hahnemuhle journal.

Margaret Xoxoxox

Day 2084 – the kid

June 5, 2019June 5, 2019Leave a comment

At this point. The Kid 15×22″‘hp Fluid. Forgot to ask his name yesterday when he modeled for us.

Started without a drawing. Drawing large shapes Like oil painters do.

Both light and dark. WHERE are his glasses?!! Took til almost second break before I notice oh wait I can’t see his eye because he has on glasses. Duh.

Started adding

And adding. How did I not notice his mouth was too small too forward?! 🤪

More shadows but that mouth. I am an idiot? The things you don’t notice when you have a live model. And YES I got up and walked off and looked at it.

Finally his mouth is where it belongs. Sigh.

When I went to bed last night.

And the way he looks right now. I moved his right eye up and widened it.
Burnt sienna cerulean cobalt burnt umber hematite burnt scarlet or other. Vlads neutral tint. White Gouache mixed w cad yw light. Ultramarine
Andrews blue Alizarin dioxzine violet vandyke brown indigo

Hmm is that all of them.

Paper is 140# hot press fluid which has stayed oh so flat despite my repeated drenchings of the paper. Love this stuff. Need to order MOH from amazon. AND you can even lift on it which never happens on hot press. Once it’s there it’s there on most hot press.

Margaret who just got a new grand baby today David Christoper 8.8 lb. A BIG boy just like his dad whose birthday was today. Super birthday present for my son Ben.

Xoxoxoxo

Day 1102 Its Saturday

November 11, 2017November 11, 2017Leave a comment

I was busy torturing Ilaina today. Hard to soften the edges on the inexpensive strathmore bristol but the colors blend and mingle deliciously

Might be done? May get more backgroundAt second break Ilaina and I decided to try green for the background since there was a lot of red in the painting. Complimentary colors play well together.

Really like this one though I think I will add a bit more of the green apatite on the left.

Second break

Colors used flesh- Quin pink & raw sienna added dioxzone purple burnt sienna for shadows combined w Quin pink & raw sienna for shadows. Hair- sepia & ultramarine blue. Green apatite and Quin gold background. Ilaina said green was for her heart chakra. She is definitely a sweetheart.

First break forty minutes

The rest of the group!! Some great painting and sketching today.

Al Beyer huge oil

Tom Needham 12×18 wc

Nice oil by Bill

Jeremy’s beautiful one.

Love Katy Padgett’s charcoal and Pastel

Don’t know his name. But a great job.

Dawn. Sweet face. I even like the writing. Dawn takes beautiful photographs of Ilaina which you can see on instagram.

Bills very nice small oil.

Our boy Fred. Who else would drive to life modeling in an open converitable in 41 degree weather. Gotta love Fred!

Amy’s oil I think.

Beautiful pencil sketch but never found out who the lady was that did it.

A couple of the college kids drawing on the cold concrete floor. Ah youth.

And that’s it. Off to sew some more.

Margaret on a chilly Saturday in SC!

Day 1115 -It’s Saturday

August 19, 2017Leave a comment

Emily 90 minutes watercolor pastel and 6B lead on strathmore Bristol.

A little thin thru the shoulders and body. And HOW did I forget to paint her other leg. An easy fix.

The sketch. About 30 minutes.

First break with a wash of raw sienna and Quin rose.

Second break? 80 minutes. Used a huge 16 Legends Sable. And a Golden Fleece Cheap Joes 2″ flat.

Added sepia Quin sienna Quin gold aureolin cobalt violet and dioxazine violet

Added white pastel stick for highlights.

Al Beyer oil 3×4′

Katie’s pencil and pastel. Love the flesh tones.

Jeremy. Red conte crayon?

Coach. Always does nice charcoal sketches.

Tom Needham’s small watercolor 10×14

AC Daniels small not quite done. Second break.

Fred the dentist having fun.

Margaret xoxoxox who better paint that leg.

Day 1094 A Rewind

July 23, 2017July 23, 2017Leave a comment

As I am prone to do with a painting I hang them or prop them on the fireplace so I can study them while I watch tv at nite in the den.

Ilaina had problems. For some reason I had made her chin too long her forehead too high. And that awful purple blob on her chin.

I gotut my winsor newton synthetic badger flat and started lifting that purple blotting it with dollar store Kleenex. I lifted some Highlights with it too on her chin and reflected light under her chin.
Lifting and blotting. Always finding the brush with clean water.

Lowered that hairline. Lifted 1/2" of the brown background along her neck. After letting it dry I added a quick brush of the brown cerulean mix lightly where I had lifted it.

I hung her back up and Realized that I needed to lower her right shoulder. I lifted a bit of the flesh color to see if it worked. Blotted it with tissue. Let it dry. Added about a 1/2" of background to lower it.

I also trimmed down her hip and right leg a bit brushing it with some of the burnt umber cerulean mix with a two inch flat.
I think she's done but you know how we women are we want to look our best. She might be a little too square still. But that's for another day.

Time to finish this one up.

Margaret tying up looses ends today. Hugs xoxoxo

Day 1073 Its Saturday

July 1, 2017Leave a comment

Sweet Emily! 18×24″ What happens when you use a two inch flat brush on Bristol!!

Charles reid watercolor hand held palette which put my hand to sleep. #allaprima #nude #lifemodel #watercolor #aquarelle #aquarellepainting #pencil #pencildrawing #lostedges #emily

1″&2″ Cheap Joes Golden Fleece Flat brush and #10 Da Vinci and that’s it.

Tip: curling thinner paper. To get it to lie flat, paint it w water on the back and it will flatten out.

First break 40 min.

Painted on strathmore Bristol 100# which is like hot press paper but cheaper.

Wash of DS Quin coral and yellow ochre w some cerulean and burnt sienna. Background, hair, drapes burnt umber ultramarine

Drapes Aurelion, Winsor Yellow, Quin Gold w burnt umber ultramarine darks

4B and 6B pencils

The crowd was thin today. So not many paintings. A lot of people on vacation but I do love to paint Emily!!

Drew Murphys acrylic. The quips were flying between us. One of the things we paint for. I told him his was a little grey this time. Usually they are bright and vivid.

Fred the dentist. Oops he left early.

Als lovely huge oil. Amazing what he gets done in two hours. This is four by 3 FEET!

Rachel who’s only been painting anyear or so but she draws at every meeting. Drawing practice gets the job done! You WILL improve. Like anything else you want to do well you have to practice. ALOT!!!