Category: Usk

Day 118 Quayside in Croatia

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with Vlad Yesilesev on a paint along today. Paint and paint brushes flying.

Maybe done. Think so. Quarter sheet 300# fabriano rough aka 11×14″ Dont we wish we could hop on a jet and go there??!

The photo

Sketch with first washes. Yellow ochre cobalt blue and alizarin

Sorry for the blurry pic. I tried to unblur but nope. Not working.

Lots of white gouache highlights. Masts and other dark lines done with the saber brush. I should have blotted it more. An interesting way to spend the afternoon.

All in all I like it.

Margaret Xoxoxox

Day 112 Piedmont Park Atlanta

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A beginning but lots left to do. The gazebo on Lake Clara Meer in Piedmont Park. Did not like it at all when I went to bed last nite but today in daylight I do. Paint along with Vladislav Yesileyev.

The photo. It’s a popular spot where the ducks teem to get fed. The value sketch. Ready to be hung at the Louvre🤣. Wasn’t sure I wanted boats. They aren’t allowed in the lake but I went with the flow. We always do these first w a 2B pencil and cheap printer paper on a clip board.

The sketch. Rough 300# Fabriano. No more Arches for me. Sorry for the bad photo. Can not improve it. I tried. Drawn w an hb pencil.

First wash. Colors used yellow ochre cobalt blue alizarin dioxizine purple.

I was not suppose to leave all the white in the water. Trying to follow him who is painting lightening fast and cover a half sheet. Groan. I did use my big size 16 kolinsky from Cheap Joes. But still. I do better for details like leaving white columns on the gazebo and making them straight with my 14 kolinsky from Cheap Joes. In my next life I am getting a Raphael or Windsor Newton. Hmm maybe I should try my mop next time.

Moving onto darker colors. But still very sheer. I have to admit painting with Vlad is like running a road race always trying to catch up with the number one runner. Leaves me worn out but in a good way.

How it looked when I quit for the day.

Ok more colors used golden ochre cobalt turquoise. Neutral tint made from indigo burnt sienna and doxizine purple. Adding white coach’s for lost highlights. Still need to do.

Half the trick is learning to use those pesky perla escodas and that saver brush. Vlad now sells his own brand for $89 from Rosemarys brushes but I have two sets of the Perlas so will wait til I wear them out. Some kind of synthetic fibers. I don’t think u can do the dry brush with my much loved kolinsky sable and I would NOT touch my Charles Reid kolinsky da Vinci on this rough paper. I don’t want to destroy it with the texture.

And I know you can’t do those I the tiny details w a kolinsky sable. The sabers have a wobble to them that makes interesting lines. Controlling them well that’s another thing. They really shine on tree branches and railings. Light posts. Power lines. They make graceful lines.

Top two brushes are the sabers. I use the green handled one a Loosey Goosey from Cheap Joes the most. Then three Perlas. Hmm I have four. 8 10 12 14. Got them dirt cheap on amazon. And my two Cheap Joes Kolinsky sables.

The tree Branch is done with the saber brush. An odd paint brush that does hold a ton of water despite it being synthetic. Right now I am trying to decide if the tree branch needs more work. Maybe?!! It is done with the saber brush.

Margaret who needs to quit goofing off make some bread and paint paint paint. Xoxox

Day 107 Thinking about it

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Golden Hour, Arles France today. Paint along with Vladislav Yesileyev. Really don’t like alizarin in the foreground. Thinking I can grey it by adding green. And that’s why I wrote thinking about it.

Foreground was yellower til I tried to fix the red by adding green to it. Now why didn’t I think that alizarin red and green is a classic combo for a grey to a black depending on the water.

The Photo kinda nondescript

Also DO NOT alike how the arches paper kept drying out. Since humidity is 82% should NOT be happening. I was wrong it buckled like crazy in any wet wash. Hmmm. If I redo I will be using Fabriano definitely.

Value study. Ready to hang in the Louvre. Lol.

First wash

Lotsa yellow but darn that alizarin. Someone asked Vlad about if alizarin was light fast. He said he didn’t know. Mine is. If you buy permanent alizarin it is light fast. Sky wash next. Cerulean goes everywhere. Some darks on the trees.

Background Trees are in. Should never have sprayed them with my mister. Yuck. The other reason I may do a redo.

Overall I really like the look of it. Love the glow of the building and the guys coming in from the field. I wanted an old guy snoozing by the doorway. I read a book about a guy who lived I S France where Arles is and he snoozed near the front door.

I can always crop out most of the nasty alizarin. Too bad it’s permanent I could put it out in the sun and it would fade away in a few months. Sigh.

Excited the paint along with Vlad Yesilesev is Piedmont Park. My sons will throw down over who gets it. I may keep it. I love Piedmont Park and the Atlanta Mechanical (Botanical) Garden as Livie calls it.

Won’t be using NO nasty Arches. Why did they sell out to Canson who ruined it. 😫😫😫

If you would like to take a face to face class with Vlad he’s teaching in gorgeous Cashiers, NC next months. I signed up. Hope it makes. They still need a few more people.

Margaret ready to put her feet up. Xoxoxo

Day 79 – Venice

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The Grand Canal Venice. All this travel is wearing me out. Aka and now I am Tahred.

Off to the races aka paintalong with Vlad Yesilesev today . I was rotten. I didn’t do the value sketch because I was drawing this largish painting. 15×15. Rough press Fabriano.

The photo.

First wash. Whew that was exhausting but I like it so far.

Vlad has us screen shot his value sketch so I had it anyway.

And then we were almost done. Zip zap. I lifted some of the water. It was getting to dark.

Here’s how it looks now but I still need to work on the buildings on the right. Too tired to care right now.

Worked on this a bit. Darkened the walls.

Here’s what it looked like. It still needs a couple more things but mostly done.

This is the next paint a long with Vlad Yesilesev. I wish I could make it but in Atlanta for a birthday. The big first one for my sweet grandson David. Can’t wait. And I have a very similar photo I took in Bayeux France so really wish I could make this one. Poop.

Yesterday’s baking and it was delicious.

Margaret ready for bed. Xoxox

Day 53 A Day in Havana

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Not sure it’s done. Maybe I will like it better in the morning?!

vlads photo.Paint along with Vladislav Yesileyev.

the value sketch

First wash Always a tense moment.

Adding more shadows and what about that old Buick?! My dad had a thing for Buicks.

Well that was fast. Almost done.

Making progress but that grill is ginormous.

Done for today but think I will add a bit of white gouache to the figures to set them off aka light on the shoulders and head.

Margaret who once again is Tahred. Xoxoxo

Rainy days =

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Lazy days. And today it’s a cold rainy drizzly day almost sleet of it were cold enough.

I had fun redrawing this with my Namike fude pen today. It’s a calligraphy pen that makes the most interesting lines. I let it dry before painting and didn’t quite get around to the painting.

I did journal all over the background. We had a lot of fun hanging out at the Schooner Wharf Bar in Key West Bight enjoying the breezes the boats and the chickens accompanied by drinks and Caribbean music. What better way to spend a hot day in Key West?!

It looked similar to this before I used the fude on it.

Hmm maybe this one is next.

Margaret who has decided to trash her Saturday painting g of Emily. Xoxoxox

Capturing friends

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Rich Klein listening to Joe Kameen talk at USC Aiken. I am sure one day I will look back thru my sketchbooks and say I remember him. He’s the guy who started buying Lamy pens!! Aka he fell down the rabbit hole with the rest of us. Prof Rich can frequently be seen leaning on his chin while he listens intently or hmm maybe he day dreams. You can follow him at richkleinvisions on instagram. Inside his head might be quite interesting if his art work is any indication.

Lamy EF Noodlers Eelskin Ink handprint journal.

And yes he will get painted if I ever quit knitting. Christmas stocking half done. Did I post this?! For youngest grandson. Down to the heel now so on the downhill run.

Margaret whose glad the icy cold rain has stopped. Xoxoxox

Sometimes

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I like to illustrate my class notes with sketches of people in the class so that I remember them later.

This sweet couple from Indiana Mary and Jerry were so much fun. Jerry loved to tell jokes and Mary well she was terrific. They had only been married five years so we called them our newly weds.

Lamy Ef Noodlers eelskin Black Ink handprint Art journal

I finished that hat despite the bum finger. Usually more done shaped but this time just glad I got it done.

Margaret busy with her Christmas shopping. Xoxoxo

A Fine Fall Day

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In Graniteville SC. On a beautiful fall day after lifemodeling I discovered a miniature English gothic village when I turned down a street I had never been down curious to see what was there. The road parallels the main drag to Aiken thru Graniteville and you can’t see this church or all the charming cottages that surround it.

I liked it better as a drawing in Noodlers Brown ink. Oh well. I seem to be doing that a lot lately. Liking the pen sketches better.

This is the only pic i have of the drawing sadly. Oh well, right.

Inktense and watercolor pencils handprint journal Lamy EF now dried up and needing a refill.

Margaret who couldn’t stand to listen to the hearings today and only drew one head. Gave me a headache. Xoxoxo

House boat living

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Our big joke is that we can afford to live on a house boat in Key West. Would the three of us fit?! Nah but we can dream.

Free docking because they are just anchored out in the Cow Channel between Key West and Stock Island.

And we would sell

My paintings out of a tiny trailer there to pay for it. Well supplement our salaries. Lol. Of course these are so small we would each need our own. And where oh where would Zoe go potty?!!

Also after weathering the possibilities of having the wrath of Dorian on our heads we decided we might like higher drier land than Key West where the highest point is 18 feet!!! 🤪🤪🤪

Stillman and Birn Zeta Lamy Ef and pentel Brush pen lettering

Margaret who no doubt has made a large mess today learning to mix egg tempura from scratch. Will get back to you if this was a good idea or not. In Raleigh for a few more days. Xoxoxox