My Husband’s Cat

March 10, 20234 Comments

Pumpkin 300# cp Fabriano Artistico may be done. Shes aging right now.

The paper masked and first pour of a variety of purples and blues.

Second pour.
I also added some burnt sienna on the left.

Biggest decision. How to paint all that fur and keep it soft?! 😵‍💫Found a Liz Steele @lizsteelart post on instagram where she used four colors today all of which i happened to have -Daniel Smith French Ultramarine Blue, DS Buff Titanium, DS Monte Amiata and DS Red Iron Oxide which i thought would be perfect for Miss Pumpkin. This is my test page in my Stillman and Birn Alpha. Lots of wet on wet for the fur test.

Before i stripped off the masking. Not a big fan of masking. You have to soften alot of edges after you remove it.

Lots of sharp edges now on her face. I had to lift out some of them by rubbing them w a nylon flat and remove the rest of the masking.

And here she is now. The watermark lettering does not show like that when you look at the painting. I also had tto wet the back of the paper toto wet the back to try to flatten the paper which was

Margaret xoxoxoxo

The New Tictocer

March 9, 2023March 9, 2023Leave a comment

My husband has discovered Tic Toc. Not sure how he did that but there it is. He loves to watch our daughter in laws tic tocs under Lee Lee Lawyer but he watches all kinds of things w amazement. I tend to NOT want to do anymore social media. IG and FB are enough w WordPress. Since i am also his tech support (i used to do Tech Support before i quit working) he gets a little miffed when i have no clue how to do anything on tic toc and tell him google it. Thats what i would do. Bad wife right?!

And a page of scrubbling what was on the table in the den. Really needs a clear up. Both are Uniball pen in a stillman and birn alpha.

Been busy baking vats of chocolate chip cookies today. A double recipe with plenty to give away. I make the toll house recipe on Nestles choc chip bag but use butter. The more expensive the better with Kerry Gold being the tastiest.

Margaret xoxoxox

And like that it was over

March 3, 20233 Comments

Loved Judge Newman. What a great even keel kind of guy. My fav sketch today too. Funny story. I didnt notice he had a beard and mustache til i was almost done because i was so intent on drawing him. His hair. Well he had alot less til they read the verdict and i said wait he has alot more hair. Then i added it.

The prosecutor Waters did an awesome summation. His side kick today was even better. Well done to all the prosecution team. We didn’t think it would go their way but it did. Guilty!!!

And this guy what can i say but he was B O R I N G today. No wonder they lost.

Guilty. Hope he enjoys the rest of his life in the SC jails. More than his wife and son got.

Watercolor and inktense pencils superaquabee book. Each drawing is about 6×9”.

Margaret xoxoxo

Another day

March 2, 2023Leave a comment

You got it. Another drawing. This time of my sweetie.

Calling this “A Good Book”
Watercolor pencils in my superaquabee. 6×9”

Margaret exhausted from her allergies. Yes the yellow pollen is flying early in Georgialina. Sigh. xoxoxoxoxo

Court reporter 3

March 1, 2023Leave a comment

So yes i drew him three times. I hear u saying how weird is that?! Seems appropriate to post the last drawing today when both sides have rested finally. Superaquabee tablet w Faber Castell watercolor and Inktense pencils.

This is the first drawing in case u missed the post.

This is the second one i posted. Then i didn’t draw another one though i did follow the trial to the bitter end. I would vote him guilty though i think the jury will be hung. i think Dad shot his son in a drunken pill fueled rage when Paul hounded him yet again about the pills. Mom was there when it happened so he pulled the other gun and shot her too. They always carried guns with them to shot hogs when they were out and about on Moselle so they were always handy.

The ospreys are back cavorting over the house shreiking which is how i saw this one flying just above my head. I heard the shreik couldnt find it til i looked straight up and there it was. Gorgeous birds. Six foot wing span.

Margaret who is tired and ready for bed after book club. Nite nite. Xoxoxoxo

Animal sketching

February 28, 2023Leave a comment

One of my fav things to do. Stillamn and Birn Alpha w a black uniball micro pen These were done while we streamed Red Squirrel channel on Youtube. Great shots of mostly birds and some Eurasian red squirrels which are just adorable. its considered cat tv. Two of our cats Weenie and Haley love to watch it when its on which is funny. Well at least to us. You know they are trying to decode how to get a BIG bird off our huge tv.

Tonites sunset brought to u by the Savannah River.

Margaret xoxoxox

Do i like it is it done?!

February 26, 20232 Comments

Ballerina quarterish sized sheet arches. All done wet in wet using six colors, the hideous potters pink was one. Had the nasty color forever. Who knew it could make wonderous skin.

It was A Ken Call class that Mike and I finally did today that is part of Watercolor Live 2023 back in January. Kens website is well worth a look. His portraits are gorgeous.

This is what it looked like at the beginning. Ultramarine , Potters Pink, Burnt Sienna Sodalite Genuine Paynes Grey and Burnt Umber on arches 140 cold press. I have some 300 but i did not want to cut it up to try this technique when i didn’t know if i would like it. Arches now costs $28 a sheet. Ouch. That was before inflation.

Drips are in with Ken. Me too. I do love a good drip. You use a flat synthetic brush to lift color almost back to the white on this project. Did i say we lifted a LOT in this painting??? Really kind of an amazing technique at least in his hands.

There are two videos of him painting on youtube. Both are about an hour and a half long if you are interested in trying this technique.

https://youtu.be/rzXfr75fbPQ

https://youtu.be/10E4HPMKDfo

Margaret who is ready to go to bed! G’nite xoxoxox

Take two on court reporter

February 25, 2023Leave a comment

Alex Murdaugh take 2. Now I am tired. Watercolor pencil superaquabee sketchbook

The pencils. The loose colors are the ones i used alot. I mostly use Faber Castell and or Inktense. Better get them sharpened for Monday.

Maggie henceforth known as Mags ready for bed. hmm never heard that as a knickname for Margaret. Xoxoxo

Court reporter

February 22, 2023February 23, 2023Leave a comment

In my next life i want to be a court reporter. Since we have alot of connections w the low country esp Edisto and Beaufort we have been following the Murdaugh trial. Today he testified which never happens. I could not resist drawing him.

Calling this Better than Alex did with the Sketch Artist

SLED asked him to work with a sketch artist for a portrait of the man who shot him on the Salkahatchee Road. Needless to say his idea of his attacker a man he knew well his Cousin Eddie was grossly inaccurate.

And that finishes off my Stillman and Birn Alpha book. Watercolor pencil. This was done with no pencil sketch like you do w watercolor but just coloring til i got it right.

I have Pumpkin ready to pour. I did her whiskers and wispy hits with a crowquill india ink pen just dipping it in and drawing with it quickly.

And then theres this ballerina Mike and I are virtually meeting up to work on tomorrow.

Supposedly she will look like this if we paint fast enough!! The Jury is out in this one. As in we shall see.

Pumpkin

February 22, 2023Leave a comment

Heres her picture. Shes a torby although some people consider them light tortoise shells. She has orange spots here and there. Sometimes she looks like a pale grey cat. A chameleon cat.