Today's Sketchbook Saturday

Today's Saturday Sketchbook- what a wonderful Saturday it turned out to be! A lovely group of people, some who knew each other some who didn't ! The weather was so good, we spent the two hours in Broughton House's gorgeous garden! Sorry to those whose photo isn't there, please blame my thumb, it wants to be in ALL the photos and unfortunately it's in a good few!

Anyone interested in joining us at next month's Sketchbook Saturday, email me on msm.art@btinternet.com

Sketchbook Saturday 28th June

Remember it is the first Sketchbook Saturday this Saturday 28th June at Broughton House, High St, Kirkcudbright!!  10am-12noon only £10
Weather permitting we will be in the garden, if not, I will set up still life subjects and we also have the studio interior to sketch too!
Prebook your place, just by emailing msm.art@btinternet.com

This little sketch was done on the train back home on Monday, the first leg of my journey...

This lady had a little dog on her lap but it was just out of my view.. The second leg of my journey was hell....... I was booked into the Quiet Zone coach with a man sitting across from me, swearing, drinking cider and playing music at full blast on his phone with no headphones! Certainly no chance of sketching there, I'm sure he would have sat beside me if I'd produced a sketchbook! What a long three hours is was till he got off!

Zorn Lesson

I attended a Zorn Limited Palette one day workshop with Euan McClure the runner up of UKs Portrait Artist of the Year 2013!
I had never owned a tube of black paint, never mind painted with the stuff! I felt like a fraud even going into the shop to buy it!
Boy, you make the most beautiful natural skin tones with this palette! No more tan- tastic skin on my life sketches!
There just wasn't enough time to finish our pieces!

Check out Euan's portraits and his still life paintings are just as good!

Little Iris

This is the Iris I begged from my father in law's neighbour. They have a lovely garden. The irises are right beside the pavement, just staring at me as I walked past!
This is a little 4x4 inch which I think I will suspend in a little box frame. It is for sale!

It is so loosely painted, why cant I paint like this when I go bigger? Think I need to mix more paint and use BIG brushes!

Wednesday 11th June Studio Open

My studio will be open this Wednesday 11th, 1-5pm come along for a chat and see what is going on in the studio!
Directions - follow sign for Golf Course, near St Mary Service Station, head up to the top of the hill, past the golf clubhouse entrance. Stirling Crescent on your left and course on the right. My banner will be on the gate, loads of parking across the road. My studio is at the bottom of the rear garden. Come on down!

New Updated Website

I wasn't wasting my time in the evenings while on holiday in the Lake District, I was updating my website!

I am really pleased with how it looks, please go on and have a look www.margaretsmilligan.co.uk

Millie and I took B along to the Lake District for a weeks holiday! What a great time was had by all! Millie bounded through the buttercups, in and around the beautiful Lake Ullswater, splashed in the River Eamont, paced up and down the Lady of the Lake Steamer! No wonder she was exhausted!

Why doesn't anyone tell you how ridiculous you look when you strap up the clasp on your rucksack?

Men look fine, they are flat chested!! I think I need a new rucksack with a strap round the waist or is there a man out there with a thick waist and a waist fastening bag who would like to swap for a more comfortable high fastening rucksack?

Open Studio work

My last open studio day was the 28th May. I do seem to spend a bit of time keeping the garden under control and not painting enough but on that day, my father in laws birthday, I nipped along with his pressie and card and on the way back begged a stem of Iris from one neighbour and nicked a head of a gorgeous rhodedendron ( I know Wendy wouldnt mind)from another! 
I raced home and found a bag hanging from the back door handle! Inside the bag - cherries! Ooh one of my favourites to paint! Talk about spoilt for choice!

I drove four of us on an Open Studio day out two weeks ago and this was my friend's "thank you", she knows how much I love painting cherries! The little boards are very little but they were such fun to paint!