On photoshop I forgot to blog. Oopsey. 
A few of my sketches from last week. Three generations at chic Fil a which is cool. Heard one of the managers talking to them. The grandmother mother and son who was too cool to sit with them.
Typical teenager.
Business man reading the paper and eating his lunch.
Ttyl.
Margaret
Xoxoxox
I drew these two guys last Thursday as part of my #oneweek100people2017 as they pushed and shoved the heavy scaffold into place that would allow them to hang the new Augusta State Univeristy sign four stories up in the air.
I have two say these guys were working very hard and were as good as having dancers to draw with their interesting poses. This is the first page I drew.
Here is page two. Drawn with my Lamy Safari with Lexington grey ink in my Stillman and Birn Alpha.
You can see the scaffold better in this painting. Drawing three of the big event. They almost had shoved it into place when I drew this. 
UPDATE: And a week later they are still working on top of the building. It’s very cold today. Hope the finish before it goes down to 24 tomorrow. Who turned off Spring?
Here’s the original sketch. I painted these after I got home. Colors used Quin coral, gold,burnt orange. Cerulean and hematite geeen on windows with ultramarine and burnt umber shadows. The building is Quin coral and burnt umber. Their jackets are Lemon yellow and hematite green. The sign is ultramarine and mineral purple.
I have a giclee quality printer that I am finally getting set up for print making. It’s been in the garage for quite a few years because it’s about two feet long and takes up the whole desk but no more.
It’s hooked up and it works. I was told it might not. New cartridges cleaned the print heads and it looks like we are in business.
Hurrah!!
Will let you know when I start making prints. Soon. I promise.
Ttyl
Margaret xoxox
Well I made it. Added another another 14 people yesterday when we were at the Standardbred Harness Races yesterday at McGhees Mile Track in Aiken. Starting from the last one draw to the first one drawn at the end of the post. I am going to paint some of these today I think since this is day 7.
All of them are drawn with my Lamy safari in Lexington Grey ink in my Stillman and Birn Alpha. Most were drawn from real life except the 20 or so talking heads. 
In the window at the Mexican cafe on Laurens street in Aiken. 
At the races. I was afraid to shop out my sketchbook after I did this because a certain bird was busy telling people what a great sketched I was. 
Off MSNBC Friday nite. 
ditto that
Hanging the new Augusta State University logo sign at the Dental School Friday. These guys were working hard. Two guys only but they hardly stood still pushing and shoving the big scaffold that would take them to the top of the four story building.
More of the two guys. One worked continually nonstop the whole hour or so I was drawing. Pulling and pushin. And backing the truck up.
Contour drawings because they were moving fast. The angles they got on their bodies were as good as any dancer or yoga as they pushed and shoved the heavy scaffold. 
In line waiting at chic fil a and the dental school check in.
Too right luck at chic Fil a and a guy waiting to see the dentist at the college. 
A three generation family at chic Fil a 
More tv talking heads. 
My heroine Rachel Maddow. So brilliant. 
Talking heads MSNBC especially like the Bernie Head. 
Lawrence O’Donnell taking heads. Love him too.
Rachel Maddow and her talking heads 
Panera sketches Tuesday
Panera Tuesday 
Panera Tuesday the rest are at Panera Monday and a few more talking. Heads from MSNBC. 
Heads on Morning Joe.
As I said will paint some of these. I love having my own coloring book. Total people. Depends on how you count them. 141 if I count all the contour drawings at the Dental College and in the crowd at the races.
Ttyl
Margaret who has to paint. Xoxoxo
Time to finish up those 100 people. In the meantime there’s always the tv to draw from.
I am completely absorbed by the unfolding spy whodunnit on Eachel Maddow every nite on MSNBC. I even take notes and draw some of the talking heads or players in this dramatic story. Last nite it was General Flynn who was working for the Turkish government to the tune of $500000 while he was head of our National Security.
I don’t think Robert Ludlum or John Le Carre could make this stuff up. Just crazy stuff going on.
And yesterday ALL the holdover Obama attorneys were fired and told to clear out by close of business. Usually they stay to finish up their cases and then leave. Not this time. And Hannity a tv talking head seems to have precipitated it. Hmmm.
The double page spread. Still have to find one more head to draw.
Colors used. Quin coral and gold and burnt orange. Burnt umber and ultramarine and cerulean. A dab of orange.
Ttyl off to the flat track horse races in Aiken. No nekkid painting today. Going to miss my painting peeps.
Margaret xoxoxo who hopes it’s not freezing cold out today.
These sketches brought the total of people drawn for the week to 82 or so. 
Has been riveting lately. It’s like watching a spy novel written by one of my favorite authors John Le Carre or Robert Ludlum unfolding in real life.
So why did I write all the notes?! My mind tends to drift when I don’t take notes. It’s rather like a doodle for me. It keeps my attention focused and it helps me remember what’s been said. Truly I think I would be paying attention with or without the note taking BUT I kind of like the way it looks too.
It’s my writing on my art work taken to the extreme. And you know I do love to write on my artwork. It gives a sort of Susan Shie flavor to it.
I almost left her without her black jacket and top painted. I took a pic like this in case but decided to paint it and I like it better painted.
Here’s the sketch. 
And a sketch of her only guest that night US Congressman Eric Swalwell who is also fascinating. Not to sure how his right cheek got so much darker. Oh well. I guess I could go back and paint the other one but just been too busy. Getting close to the 100 people mark for the week.
The sketch. These are done in my Stillman and Birn Alpha with a Lamy Safari loaded with Lexington Gray ink.
Colors used. Quin gold Quin coral Quin burnt orange cerulean burnt umber ultramarine blue.
Ttyl
Margaret xoxoxo off to do her last ten people.
Off drawing something somewhere today so thought I would share this new painting with you.
All about the Catsup based on a picture I took on my birthday at Flying Biscuit in Candler Park on McClendon in Atlanta. I had my camera propped on the counter which gave everything an odd angle.
I lightened and brightened the catsup and darkened the counter so it would stand out. I added some Indian yellow to Quin red to make a lighter brighter catsup color. So far I like it.
Last Wednesday my friend Drew said I had made her look like she was drooling. Oops. I hope I fixed that.
Colors I have been using Quin red Indian yellow ultramarine blue and thalo blue titanium white. Burnt umber. A liquitex light blue and flesh color and a tad bit of primary yellow. And that’s it.
Here’s the picture.
Thanks for reading.
Margaret xoxoxo
Yesterday’s output. 41 people.
These were drawn off tv while I waited for the plumber. $135 later and a new kitchen faucet I was off to Panera in Evans.
Undercover spy duty yesterday. I got a glass of their great I sweet iced tea and plopped my huge black purse on the table to hide behind.
I spent about two hours there including eating a late lunch. I moved around a lot to get better views of my “victims.”
The past few took longer because the Panera girls kept clustering around talking to each other. They must have been on break. I wanted to draw the one girls curly hair but it kept getting blocked by the other girls.
I drew five people at least twice as they moved around.
The girl with the curly hair ended up taking a quick nap on the table – and no she did not look very comfy. Her shoulder is a bit too much on such a skinny little girl. The other girl walked off before I drew her legs. Oops.
41 people done 59 to go!!
These were drawn quickly in my Stillman and Birn Alpha using my Lamy safari and Noodlers Lexington Grey Ink.
Ttyl off to vets to get Zoe’s stitches out. She had minor surgery two weeks ago and it’s time. Hmm wonder if there are any new victims there for UnDeRcOvER SpY!!
Margaret xoxoxo
That’s 14 or so a day?!! Is this a new kind of torture?! Or just an excuse to spend the week drawing everyone I see?! You say Why? For the fun of it! To improve my eye! Change of pace! To get me out and drawing in the community.
Now to get them done. Luckily I am on spring break this week. Hurrah!
This sketch out is being lead by Marc Tao Holmes and Liz Steel.
I drew these people at Farmhaus Burgers in downtown ugusta. It was slammed with people. And the burger was pretty delicious too. As were the French fries not that I could eat all that food.
The guy on the bottom left was completely absorbed in his iPhone. I wish I had had longer to draw him but I was on the run. He kept putting his heads on top and all over his face. I wonder what he was reading?!
A few drawn of the dvr the Last Word with Lawrence O’Donnell. He was interviewing Michael Moore always an interesting man. Great thing about the dvr is that you can pause it if you need too. Since these are suppose to look human but not represent people I didn’t.
More talking heads on Brian Williams show. Top Left – Congressman Elliott Engle who refused to shake 45s hand. First president he has done that with.
These were drawn in just a few minutes with my Lamy safari in a Stillman and Birn Alpha.
Ttyl off to draw. Stay tuned.
Margaret xoxoxo
#OneWeek100People2017
Well kind of sort of. Been busy posting about our show and getting it a write up in the local paper. In the meantime here’s a watercolor for you. I have to do it on paper for my friend Monica who is in it.
Monica works at the DuPont Planetarium at USC Aiken also known as the Ruth Patrick Science Center. She leads tours of school kids and gives them talks about the stars.
Follow the Drinking Gourd is the black history month lecture about how slaves used the Drinking Gourd the Big Dipper to find their way north to freedom.
I paint across the parking lot from her at USCAiken Etheridge Center. She invited me over to hear her Drinking Gourd talk. Monica did a dynamite job and I had to draw her. It was almost pitch black by the time I finished.
The sketch sat around while I decided how to draw the star field and the whirlpool galaxy. Never done that before.
I realized I could paint the night sky black and then splatter it with white gouache which worked out great.
I also wanted to make the galaxy bright in the center and fade at the edges. As I painted the sky with a mix of indigo alizarin crimson and hookers green I bled the edges around the galaxy with clear water. I coated it with very watered down Quin gold just to give a glow. Let it dry.
Coated the sky with the indigo mix again and bled the edges again. Then I added dabs of watery alizarin crimson and marine blue in a circular swirl. Let it dry. Added more of those colors and grey and purples to define the galaxy spin. Trying for that glow.
Finally I splattered the galaxy with white gouache and a very small brush. I should have used a tooth brush. Next time I will.
Highly recommend the Ruth Patrick tour!!
Happy Sunday.
Still in my Jammies relaxing on a chilly Sunday
Margaret xoxoxo
Yesterday we had at lunch Kathe Drew and I had a big discussion on gridding our paintings or not. Drews currently working on a huge painting of downtown Augusta. The view is five floors up and he’s frustrated trying to get all the buildings in to the scene.
I told him about drawing this view of downtown Knoxville last May. I was five stories up too at 7 am drawing away. It took about half an hour to draw this.
Most people looking at it would think that yes that’s exactly what Knoxville looks like but it’s not quite.
No matter how hard I try to plot the drawing of a cityscape like this I usually run out of room by the time I work right or left to the edges.
I end up leaving out buildings. I told Drew that as long as you get the important buildings in the skyline is recognizable. What would the Knoxville skyline look like without the Workds Fair golden globe or the the big basketball from the basketball hall of fame.
Some buildings are musts in the skyline. Other nobody will ever notice they are missing. Nobody has yet to say where’s xyz.
These are actually what I was looking like. 
I didn’t even paint it so it looked like this.
I added nice dawn colors. Layering buildings with a base coating of Quin gold letting it dry and then painting it the colors of the buildings. It gives a nice early morning glow to the sketch. 
Anyway that’s it for today. Ttyl
Margaret xoxoxox
Margaret McCarthy Hunt Art 