Tut, tut, Woman Scolding

"Tut, tut, Woman Scolding"
First half of a collaboration for Mike to finish
pen and ink with watercolor "wash"
click image to view larger.

Okay, here's my collaboration of the second pass of round four in my own Moleskine, for Mike to finish.

I still have one full page to do of my own work, plus I was going to do the back cover.  I may skip that until later, same with decorating the envelope,  If I'm running late.  I'm so OCD sometimes that the thought of skipping something Id wanted to do makes me nervous.

But here is one more sub-task of one of the tasks I wanted to accomplish this month.  And as far as two posts a week, hey, maybe for December, which will crazy busy in an escalating fashion, maybe I just have to average 2 a week and I''m getting head start on next week, LOL!!!

Collaboration with Hennie Mavis: Cardinal Dream

Hennie's lovely start
(First half)
(click this and all images to see larger)

Hennie's gorgeous painting is wonderfully balanced and has really nice composition and color.

my half of the collaboration
cardinals fly, by Mary Taitt

Unfortunately, when I started this painting, we company for dinner and I only had one of my small watercolor kits, it was the wrong one, and the colors didn't match.  Wrong reds and blues.  Of course, that wasn't the only flaw, I'm sorry to say.

full double-page spread
Cardinal Dream
collab Hennie Mavis and Mary Stebbins Taitt

The dream was Hennie's, a wonderful dream.

I have one solo piece and one first half collab for Mike left to do before I mail.  When I complete, I will be able to mark off one item in my ridiculous goals list in the previous post.

Collaboration with Andrea: "If you Play your Cards Right

Collaboration with Andrea

Detail

I think I have completed my collaboration with Andrea in the lastest round of the Moleskine Exchange (although I may see something later I need to do.)

Moray Eel

Moray Eel
mixed media
by me, Mary Stebbins Taitt
first half of a collaboration with Mike Kline
please click image to view larger

Normally, When I am doing the first half of a collaboration with Mike Kline, I like to work in somewhat graphic black and white to make it easier for him to collaborate with me.  However, I had just received new acrylics from my kids for Mother's Day (HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!) and wanted to play with them.  You know, kids with new toys?

This is a two page spread.  The first 1/4 of the spread (half a page) is with the new acrylics. The second quarter (1/2-page) is with a combination of watercolor, gouache and acrylics.  Then, 1/8 spread (1/4 page in black watercolor, followed by Faber-Castelle pigment pens.  The purpose of all that was to hopefully create something to which Mike could easily attach his work.  (I hope).

This could be one long eel, an eel coming out of a hole, two eels entwined, an eel being scooped up by a new, or any number of things--so I hope Mike enjoys it.

This completes my work in Andrea's moleskine for rotation I of round 4.

When Confronted with our Worst Nightmares

"When Confronted with our Worst Nightmares
I like to fight back with Flowers"
Collaboration Andrea and Mary
mixed media
water color, acrylic, pigment pens, colored pencil
click image to view larger

I wanted to do the girl (standing in for my child-self) in water color, but ended up coloring the background with black Faber-Castell pigment marker (A gift from Hennie Mavis) and then painting over that with glazes of blue acrylic.  I drew the flowers on the girl's pajamas with colored pencil and then painted them in with watercolor.

I have a lot of dreams of being chased down dark alleys by men who intend me harm.  They are nightmares, because I wake up terrified.  Not sure if that's what Andrea meant.

Click on the image to see it much larger.

I am still sick and my work is going slowly.

Frayed Rope, Collaboration with Gretchen and Roma

I wanted to use the same pens Gretchen used in this collaboration, and I sent away for them, and waited and when they came, I was away for a week. turns out they aren't exactly the same anyway. But they look closer in person than they do here.

The other thing is that these are metallic. They're shinier than they look here. To view larger, click on the image.

This is a collaboration with both Gretchen and Roma, sort of. I used Roma's frayed rope girl on a swing. I'm picturing her swinging from a hot air balloon. My hands aren't as steady and Gretchen's, either, I'm sorry to say. If you'd like to see Gretchen's original first half of the collaboration, it is here. Roma's is here.

Collaboration with Andrea; ArtRage: Essie, Vase with Twelve Sunflowers

One of my ArtRage paintings: Vase with Twelve Sunflowers

this is a collaboration with Andrea, who drew all that beautiful hair--I just added the face. The face is Essie, one of the characters in my novel, Disappearing. Click image to view larger. Essie is 12 years old here and getting ready to give a presentation of her art. She's a Detroit orphan.

Close-up, Giveaway card #4 (and new art)

Here is a close-up of the fourth cards from the six I am offering to give away. Click image to view larger. Click here to see the art larger (as opposed to the print/card).

I am very disappointed that only John has shown an interest in them. I used to have a fairly good readership before I got too busy to blog daily.

Is it solely the lack of readership?

or, do people not want to give something away?

or, do people not like my art?

or, do they not send letters any more?

:-( I am very sad. Help me out by signing up to win a set of three cards here.

This new piece is a collaboration with my Granddaughter, Rachel Taitt, who chose the colors and applies the first paint. I smeared it with a palette knife and inserted buttons.

It's done on Artrage, on my iPad, digital. I got the buttons online. This is a 5 x 7 print on matte photo paper.

I dedicated it to Kathy E from Novi, because I enjoyed her work--I do not mean to imply that my first attempt holds a candle to hers! Click image to view larger.

Collaboration with ROma in Mike's ROund 3 Moleskine Sketchbook

I tried to follow suit with themes of color and shape already begun by Roma. (Click image to view larger.) It's fairly textural, which doesn't show up in the scan. The bottom 1/3 or so is mine, but I also drifted up to make links with Roma's part. See her part without mine here. See close-up details here.

Between our flooded basements and our traveling, I am WAY WAY behind and no time yet to catch up, but I will as soon as I can.

Dragonfly Symbiosis

Dragonfly Symbiosis

A Story for Gretchen

Once upon a time, there was a girl who loved to go out in the woods and meditate. One of her favorite places to sit in ZaZen was Lycopodium Knoll, a small rise in the sandy woods above Blue Heron Lagoon. The knoll was covered with lycopodia, and the girl would sit with her back to a red maple and her middle finger touching her thumb and her hands resting on her knees. And sit.

One day, however, her serenity was disturbed by deerfly. The deerflies buzzed nosily around and kept landing on the girl’s arms and shoulders. They were trying to bite her.

Suddenly, there was a much larger, louder buzzing and a huge insect landed on her knee. In its mandibles was a deer fly. The dragonfly noisily chomped down the deerfly and a moment later, zipped out and snagged another. When it had eaten that one, it snagged a third, and continued until it had eaten the entire platoon

Then the dragonfly sat calmly on the girl’s knee waiting. Each time another deerfly or mosquito homed in on the girl, the dragonfly captured it and ate it. The girl acted as a food magnet for the dragonfly and the dragonfly protected the girl from insect bites. And this is a true story. Mary Stebbins Taitt (Click image to view larger.) This is a collaboration with Gretchen Owen.

Can I have a piggyback, Dad?

This is my take (collabortion) on one of Steve's recent Splotch Monsters. Click image to view larger.

If you are looking for the WeekWord, it is here.

Happy Spring

Have a Happy Happy Spring! Enjoy the lovely weather!

This is a new painting that I did with Steve Loya, collaboratively--he did the background and I did the doves.