On the Adriatic

February 25, 2021Leave a comment

Croatia. Paint along #three with Vlad Yesileyev. He’s taking a group there to paint this summer he hopes. Covid willing.

Done for now and maybe forever.

The photo

The value sketch.

The sketch. 140# rough Hahnemuhle Cezanne great paper. Only thing I don’t like abt it it buckles when soppy wet but dries flat. Paint and paper from Cheap Joes. Love them.

First washes. Looks very ghost like. This photo was taken when it was wet. See the buckles?!

Adding midtones.

Adding darks and the water. Painting those darn boats. Hmm they were the easiet thing to paint. Actually this was not a hard painting. Just a lot to do.

And done. I need a nap now after the paint along. Work slap out!! 😂

Margaret whose ready to tuck up on the sofa with a blanket. Xoxoxo

Wild and Wet

February 25, 2021February 25, 2021Leave a comment

Winter Petersburg: Blue bridge, Moika Embankment

With Tatiana Asinismova. She was speaking Russian and was on St Petersburg while Vlad Yesileyev translated. When his internet went south his wife Marina who is in Moscow visiting family stepped up and ably continued translating.

This painting was done completely wet on wet using Paynes grey, burnt sienna, sepia, cad yellow, yellow ochre, white gouache. Period paragraph. I added some ultramarine because there was no blue in my Paynes grey.

Draw fast the paper is suppose to be being soaked. Times like this all the sketching I do comes in handy.

Soaked both sides of the a half sheet of 140# Kilimanjaro cold press paper first w a hake brush. No taping. Cheap Joe’s American Journey paint.

A few swipes of yellow ochre. Next we used a cat’s tongue brush loaded with layers grey. Swoosh swoosh the sky was done.

Dabs of burnt sienna across the horizon line.

Smidges of black verticals. Hmm what are those?

Next knocking out the bridge all the while painting into this wet morass. Burnt sienna and paynes grey.

What are those things poking up we are painting?! 🤔🤔🤔 A light!! Zip zip done. (It’s really pretty straight but the paper has a ripple because some sunny stood it up and let it dry standing up making a ripple. Duh!)

On to the river and the snow. Oops I didn’t draw it so I winged it. A little rewetting of the paper. Very interesting making the light and dark areas, fuzzy and sharp edged.

And don’t forget to leave some ice chunks.

Painting the right hand side of the bridge. My least fav part but we soldiered on. Burnt sienna and Payne’s grey. Are there any other colors?! Oh a dab of ultramarine. Splatter splatter. Paint faster. Splatter with white gouache.

Finally use a tooth brush loaded with white gouache to make the snow. I am sure there are 89 YouTube videos on how to do this. Looks just like snow. Hoping this is as close as my house will get to snow this year.

Tatianas class sample. You can follow her on Instagram at Tatianaasimova6056

She’s also teaching a class with Vlad Mar 7. The painting will be similar to the above photo. Can’t wait. Click the link to check it out.

If you want to try this technique Vlad or Marina is going to post this class on YouTube soon. Was really so much fun. I love splashing paint about. Paint flinging c’est moi!!!

Margaret exhausted because she finished another painting today too but that’s for another day. Hugs. Xoxoxox

Fly away to Old Havana

December 17, 20202 Comments

Old town Havana Fabriano 300 lb rough paper which I have decided I now hate. It kept holding edges. Put paint on and there was a hard edge. What the heck. It’s not suppose to do that at $16 a sheet. This is a half sheet.

The photo

Vlad’s value sketch.

The drawing and what a pain it was.

First washes just three colors yellow ochre alizarin and cobalt blue.

Midtones. Adding I burnt sienna neutral tint dioxzine purples cad orange.

Adding darks. Burnt sienna burnt umber ultramarine vandyke brown

Almost there.

Done doe now. Who knows what it will tell me in the am?!

Margaret tired of looking at it.

Parges, France

December 8, 2020December 8, 20204 Comments

Near Paris. 12×16 arches 280cold press. Did a wild hour long paint all with Vlad Yesileyev at shopkeeparty,com. Also on shopkeeparty’s YouTube if you want to give it a try.

The photo

The sketch

First wash

About an hour of painting. Adding darks. I actually painted the people with my brush aka I didn’t draw them first. I think they are some of my better people.

Debating with my self when is it done.

I never know when to stop but time to add some calligraphy marks with the saber brush I think. Feeling totally uninspired.

And as she is now. She may get more torture tomorrow. We shall see.

Have to capture all five kittens and take them 30 miles to Edgefield to get them neutered or spayed. What happens if one runs. I guess I can always schedule another trek to Edgefield.

Margaret xoxoxo

Touch up time

November 18, 2020Leave a comment

I really like it now. Marking this one DONE. I even signed it. As we say when painting in Aiken it’s done if you signed it. Actually we say it’s not done til it’s signed but this one. Is.

Detail of the foreground water. More

Accurate color.

Yesterday. I added a lot of black in the focal point. More shadows along the bottom of the buildings. Darkened the water into an L shape. Painted the roof oranger. Added highlights to the focal point and the water with white gouache. Oh and I lightened the grey stones on left. Added more green to the water. I think that’s it.

Really not a lot but in the right place adds drama.

Margaret xoxoxo

Reflections in L’ Isle Sur La Sorges

November 17, 2020November 17, 2020Leave a comment

Aka France Evidently the town in Avignon is a lot like Venice w Canals and boats. Also near Vaucluse which I live near another Vaucluse. Guess the French Huguenots settled the one near me. A lot did settle in South Carolina.

So far but as usual a WIP a work on progress. Someone please tell me why I hate them when I am done painting three four hours and always like them better in the morning!!?

Vlad paint along Sunday. One more paintalong next Sunday before he takes a winter holiday break.

The photo

I think I need more shadows in mine and an oranger pinker roof. A few more darks in the foreground water. Try to lift some lost highlights. Mr Clean to the rescue I hope.

The drawing

300 lb fabriano rough paper half sheet 15×22. Really don’t like this paper. Maybe I will repaint it tomorrow on Kilimanjaro. The fabriano just sucks up paint making it look pale.

First wash. Always a wild ride with Vlad. Five colors. Yellow ochre alizarin cobalt cad orange. and neutral tint or as he calls it emergency mix.

The whole thing is painted with the same mix of paint and water.

Moving along second wash. Usually we paint everything from the first wash thru each layer but not this time.

Adding greens and darks. Still only a few more Colors. Indigo burnt sienna burnt umber

And here we are as of now. Spent most of the day waiting for the Carpet cleaner to come to clean the sofa the kitties pooed on. They ate now litter trained and e sofa will be covered up as soon as it dries. Aka no more kitty poo.

Margaret tired from not doing a whole lot. I did bake a quiche full of chopped veggies. Does that count?!! And moved stuff out of the way of the carpet cleaner. Xoxoxo

Composition- Provence or the Blue Ridge?!!

November 13, 20202 Comments

I am thinking it’s the blue ridge. I love the views from the tops of the mountains with the towns snuggled in the bottom around a lake.

I think this paintings done. Going to sleep on it to be sure.

12×17″ arches 280 cp Cheap Joe’s American Journey paint.

I took a class with Vlad Yesileyev on composition today.

Fascinating and educational as usual.

He said composition is THE most important thing in a drawing.

Typically you divide a drawing into thirds vertically and horizontally. And where they cross is your focal point. It’s the place where you should put the greatest contrast in your painting with less detail in the other areas.

MINIMIZE anything not in your focal point. And if you don’t like your value sketch then don’t start painting.

I highly recommend that class. He’s just THE best teacher. Willing to answer any question and stay as late as necessary to help if needed. He explains everything so well leaving no detail unexplained as to why he’s doing what he’s doing. And if you don’t understand he will patiently explain it again.

And he has a GREAT russian accent and a GREAT sensenofnhumor.

The drawing

First wash. I managed NOT ago sticky my fingers in the sky or blot it. My two fav things to do to mess up My sky wash. Yellow Ochre cobalt alizarin and neutral tint

Finishing first wash using the same colors

Adding trees. I can finally do lacy dry brush trees. Well more or less.

Still using the same colors and some burnt sienna and burnt umber and indigo for the dark greens.

Teacher critique. Too much splatter and pines too Lacey. Oops. Easy fix.

Can I whine but I like splattering. You should see the tv I watch the zoom on. Covered w specks of paint.

and yes he was right. Too much splattering of flowers in the foreground.

Do yourself a favor and sign up for his paintalongs and his classes. You will be glad you did.

Day 231 So many Spots!!

November 10, 2020November 10, 20205 Comments

On the Farm down Florida way. Arches 280 cp. Nice paper. Scratches so well.

The photo

Vlad’s value sketch.

My sketch. Did get tired of drawing a jillion little cows and all those legs. 😜 My dad used to joke to us on trips to count the cows by counting their legs and dividing by 4. That was the best part of drawing a jillion cows. Remembering the joke.

First wash. Cobalt cad yellow alizarin dioxzine cad orange yellow ochre

My cows are too light I think. We shall see.

Painting the background trees. Still using the same colors and burnt sienna and umber.

So I painted my cows a little darker grey. Cobalt yellow ochre and alizarin dioxzine mix. That mix will give you all kinds of grey.

Greens mixed with cad yellow cobalt and indigo. Oh and cobalt teal on water tubs.

Think this one is different but I can’t tell. Shadows under white spots? NOPE. Since these are Holstein cows painted lots and lots of grey and blackish spots made with that same grey mix. I think I added ultramarine and a dab of alizarin to mine.

Cows up close.

And adding in the foreground tree. Once again that green mix on the grey side.

Can I put my feet up now?!

Margaret xoxoxox

Day 220 WIPE Out or Surprises!!

October 21, 2020October 21, 2020Leave a comment

Hmm I more ways than one. My car battery died today too. Now jumped off and running fine. A Prius gets a dead battery so easily. And yes I thought I had checked to see if all the lights were off Miss Rebecca. Evidently NOT. Sigh. Thank goodness for USAA roadside assistance. They have me on speed dial for dead batteries. Groan.

Been working on this hideous painting. Not at all what I imagined. So where did I go wrong.

I didn’t used my value sketch but the photo to paint from. A bad idea according to Vlad Yesilesev and I should no better by now but NOPE. Did it anyway.

After much discussion with Ms Ruth today she suggested I put the focal point back where it belonged and take attention away from the middle building.

With nothing to loose it was time to WIPE it out. So I taped it up and had at it.

Now I actually like it better. An amazing improvement with nothing down but wiping off paint.

Stay tuned to see if I wiped off the finish w the paint. I hope not but if I did I drew another one this afternoon thinking this one was hopeless.

Stay tuned.

Pot kitties posing in the autumn sun.

Stay tuned.

Margaret xoxox

Day 217 Assisi, Italy

October 18, 2020October 19, 2020Leave a comment

Flew off to Assisi Italy today with Vlad Yesileyev on his paint along. So far. Leaning toward this is DONE but might change my mind in the am.

The photo

The value sketch by Vlad Yesilev. I am bad. I don’t look at the shades. Rather look at the painting.

First wash.

I use a muffin Pan to mix the first wash-yellow ochre cobalt and alizarin – in so I can save it for the next painting instead of tossing. I do have to stir it up before use because the color settles. Moving along flowers started.

Same colors as first wash and burnt umber dioxzine and Andrew’s turquoise.

Well underway almost done. I forgot to take photos. Oops. We added indigo mixed w cobalt to our colors. Should have had two windows but I messed up. So I have three up top. Another oops.