Category: Watercolor

Day 2086 St Maclou

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Saint Maclou Église is looking close to done. Hurrah. Because I don’t feel like painting today. Sharing the pics of the process so far I darkened the sky in this one w a mix of cobalt and a dab of Vlads neutral tint.

Built in 1436 or should I say started, St Maclou is a late gothic style known as Flamboyant. It’s over the top in its frills. Gleaming in the sun it looks like a large wedding cake.

Before I darkened the sky to make St Maclou pop. I also added a red orange mix – cad red light and cad yellow light – to the church door to demand your attention. Aka focus your eye. Still needs a lot of work on the left building but thinking right buildings may be done. Adding the people. I used Cheap Joes Andrews Turquiose and cad red which are opaque colors to make the jackets stand out all of which I dry brushed on taking advantage of the opaque color. adding details and detail washes on buildings. detailing buildings Dumped my photo into waterlogue to see if it would have a clue or two on how to paint. Love the red building but it would detract from my focus the church. Have always thought this could make a great painting. Rouen Cathedral in waterlogue. A free ap that turns your photos into watercolors. Sometimes doing s great job sometimes NOT. The sketch which took forever. Drawing on rough paper is NOT easy. especially when you want alot of straight lines.

The sketch I did of St Maclou when I was in Rouen in the square sitting in front of the Église aka church in a drizzly rain like today eating a meringue from a nearby patisserie. Of course not all the people were there at the same time. I just added them as they walked by. Then finished drawing the background houses. the medieval house on the right is the one to the right of the church in my larger painting.

Another artist painted St Maclou back in the 1890s. He turned the square in front into a fairytale story book like setting.

Margaret hoping she gets busy soon. So many paintings to paint and then there’s the house that needs a good cleaning. xoxoxoxo

Day 2084 – the kid

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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 2083 Devastated

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That my beloved watercolor teacher Charles Reid the master of all American watercolor painters according to the man who knows them all Joe Miller of Cheap Joes died unexpectedly Saturday.

My dear friend Mike and I were hoping to take another class from him in Sarasota in the spring all figure painting but it’s not to be.

He will be greatly missed by his family dear Judy and Sarah and Peter, all his students and friends all over the world.

Early on he distinguished himself as a wonderful teacher.

Dearest Charles and Judy Reid in Boone at Cheap Joes.

He touched us all making us better artists and better people for knowing he and his darling Judy.

One of his fabulous flower paintings. I am so lucky to own one.

Rest In Peace Charles.

Margaret xoxoxo who will be forever grateful to the great man.

Day 2080 Drawing like

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A crazed person

Deadline for Georgia Watercolor Show is June 10. It will be here soon.

Looking toward St Mcclou in Rouen Normandy France. Half sheet rough Fabriano 300#

This one took quite a while and still needs some people added to it. Remember you can add anyone if their heads line up with the dark dot which is the vanishing point on the horizon line. A tall guy could be a little higher but a shorter lady on that horizon line. By doing this you can add anyone into a painting even if they were never there.

Ps remember adding odd numbers of people is better than even. And assorted sizes would be more interesting.

Looking toward Van Goghs blue church in Auvers sur Oise France the town Van Gogh died in. Half sheet Fabriano rough 300#

Also where he’s buried just to the right of this church. Near the wheat field with all the crows that he painted. Too bad we didn’t make his funeral. His brother Theo gave everyone there one of his paintings if you wanted one! Not six months later Theo died and was buried next to Vincent.

All those wobbly 900 year old medieval buildings made it Difficult to sketch this. Add in all the gothic spires on St Maclou – well shoot me. So I gridded the photograph and the sketch. I used a light grey watercolor pencil on the drawing so hopefully it will melt away when I paint it tomorrow.

I also have to move the girl in the foreground either right or left. Broke one of the Dean of watercolor painters rules by sticking her in the middle. Never do that either. Drop in one or two more people and I am ready to painting this one too.

And I started the day off drawing at the dealership while I waited for my Prius’ check up. I am too lazy to get up and take a pic of those.

Stay tuned. Manana!

My evening visitor. Zoe did NOT like him a bit. I think he or she is kinda cute. Just a little small young raccoon.

Margaret putting her feet up for a well deserved rest Xoxoxoxo

Day 2079 did I say

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More museum. I also loved this Chinese guy. A seated dignitary. I wouldn’t want him looking at me. He’s scary looking. I tend to think I should have left him in sketch form. Same thing with the bodihsattva from yesterday. Oh well.

Same colors as yesterday. Bytw my twisbee has started dripping ink. Eeek. No idea why.

Somebody shoot me if I buy any other pen that a Lamy. Sooo reliable. Always work. Never drip. Guess I will toss it in the drawer with my Noodler pens. 😢

Margaret Xoxoxoxo who’s sleepy and ready for bed with my guy David Baldacci. New load of books from second and Charles. 🤗❤️

Day 2078 Love the Asian

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Statues. A bodhisatta and a Buddha. Can’t decide which one I like better. The curves of the bodhisatta or the sweet expression of the Buddha.

Before I erased the 2 b pencil writing

background erased

Deartrementis Ink. My twisbee. Hahnemuhle journal cad red light yellow ochre burnt umber burnt sienna neutral tint. 2 b pencil background

Margaret ready for bed. Kerchoo Allergy day. Xoxoxox

Day 2075 Back at the Museum

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I loved these slightly primitive statues. So old.

Sketch in Deartrementis Brown with my Twisbee. The inks almost gone so next I will be using a Noodler Brown recommenced by Brenda Swenson.

Hahnemuhle journal yellow ochre cerulean cad red light cobalt burnt sienna ultramarine and a dab of quin gold.

I used a 2B pencil to write the info from the museum all over the background of this page to add texture and lightly erased it before I painted it.

Margaret who is book club tonite. Xoxoxo

Day 2073 Those Kings

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Are painted now.

I just LOVE these silly guys.

I also painted this drawing of Elizabeth Catlettes marble Torso.

Torso is just van dyke brown and indigo yellow ochre background

The lokapala washed w yellow ochre added burnt sienna cad red light, van dyke brown, Vlads neutral tint, quin gold. Background cerulean

Hahnemuhle wc journal Twisbee Pen with Deartrementis document brown.

Margaret ready for the Memorial Day concert.

Day 2072 The Four Heavenly Kings

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Fell in love with these when I went to the Columbia Museum of Art last time. Today I returned to draw some of the statues and have one last look at the Pollock. It was 8×20’😳. Sadly it was gone but these cuties were still there part of the permanent collection right next to a gorgeous Botticelli. Do you think they would notice if I borrowed one for a while??! Too bad an art museum doesn’t lend art to their visitors like a library lends books.

While I am not a big fan of Renaissance art it’s hard not to appreciate this gorgeous painting which is about 4×5′ or so right next to the Lokapala.

I don’t know why but I just find these two guys charming. I am sure they were not meant to be charming but scary.

Bytw I drew two more figures before these. It was the fourth figure on the right before I started drawing well. I have a sketchbook full of Buddhas and saints now and a couple of Soda City street drawings. Now to get them painted.

I have to say the Columbia Art Museum was a lovely cool respite from the muggy 100 degree day outside at Soda City. You could have told me the queen of England was outside and I would not have left the cool museum.

Bytw the museum is only $5 on Saturday while Soda City is open (9-1pm).

Margaret ready for her cool comfy bed. Xoxoxoxo

Day 2070 Problems Problems

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Decided to add this lady to my sketchbook as a memory page.

She meets me at the back sliding door and peers thru the glass this way and that as if to say are you there. Where’s my breakfast??? It’s very funny.

Hahnemuhle Journal twisbee pen Charles Reid palette colors and Vlads neutral tint which is dioxzine purple indigo and burnt sienna.

Advantage of using his neutral tint or making your own is that you can shift it to blue purple or brown maki g it a flexible grey that Vlad never paints without it on his palette.

Miss squirrel earlier added some ground under her feet with the neutral tint so the nice highlights on them would show. And splattered it a bit with the neutral tint.

wouldn’t let me upload these pics yesterday. 😵😵😵

Seems I have run out of storage on WordPress. I either have to Del a lot of old photos which is oh so difficult to do or pay $200 more a year for unlimited storage. Groan.

wouldn’t let me upload this one either so added it today.

So while I am deciding I Del a lot of my friends nudes and I bet the pages look like Swiss cheese. Sorry friends and dear readers. I still love you.

Here’s the final painting again. Do wish I had left the metal strip on the side.

That freed up a little space.

wondering why I didn’t do this one but I think I will maybe on the opposite page.

Oh. Went to see Anne Hathaway’s new movie The Hustle. Funny well only occasionally. Best part was the French Riviera scenery the French music and Anne’s fabulous clothes.

Skip it and go see Poms. Much funnier.

Margaret In p189 of Redemption. Only 200+ pages to go.

Ttyl. Xoxoxo