Last Round 5 work in Preston's Mole

Brave Benny and the Owl

watercolor and Faber-Castell and Micron artists pens

click this and all images to view larger

Dragon tears collab for Steve Spetseris

watercolor and sakura gel pen

Camouflage Rabbit

 white-line print, watercolor

pocket item for Preston

These are my last two pieces in Preston's Moleskine.  The first is for the Brave Benny Book I am doing for my grandkids (and Also for Andrea, even though it's in Preston;s Mole), the second is a collaboration for Steve Spetseris--Steve feel free to manipulate or paint over any part you'd like.  The third is a white-line print.  My first ever.  It is for Preston's pocket.  I am concerned because there is absolutely NOTHING in Preston's pocket--I thought we were each supposed to leave some small gift for the owner of the Mole in the pocket.  

A little history of the white line print.  I took a workshop.  The workshop was three hours long, during which time I made the design and then carved the woodblock and began the printing process.  It took 2 more 3-hour sessions to complete the print. It's a slow process.

The White-line print, also called the Provincetown Print, is described here and also in many other online posts, if you are interested in learning more about it.

New Art in process, Moleskine, June 2014

I am sorry to report that my scanner is still not working, so I have tried to photograph the pieces I am working on.  The first one is a collaboration with Andrea.

Collaboration with Andrea,
PITT Faber Castel pigment pens and colored pencil

The second piece is the one I am currently working on, showing two stages of work. It is for my book, Frankie and Noah have a party.

Collaboration, 1st half, for Mike

The last piece is a collaboration for Mike to finish.  My intention was to do a simple graphic black and white but I got carried away and colored it.  "The owl and the Pussycat went to sea/ in a beautiful pea green boat."

Mike, feel free to change the these, paint or color over or change any part of what I did, etc.  You can erase the lines of the boat and the ear of the owl if you want to do something entirely different--it could be a scene in the daytime.

Click images to view larger.

Working on Mike Kline's Moleskine

Spoonbill, Hornbill and Duckbill
Acrylic, by Mary Stebbins Taitt
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Spoonbill and Duckbill
with their friend Hornbill
Rode a red wagon downhill
with glorious freewill
past the sawmill
and came to a standstill
at Frankie's doorsill.

 Frankie is my grandson.  One of four.

I can't find the paper with the "poem" on it, and I'm not sure I'm remembering it right.

Roseate Spoonbills envelope
acrylic, Mary Stebbins Taitt

Pumice Fish
Acrylic, Mary Stebbins Taitt

I never went to art school, so I have to learn everything by experimenting.  I bought some pumice medium and played with it on the envelope for the first time ever (dumb, I know).  It was so rough, like sandpaper,only worse, so, worried about the mail carriers and postal employees injuring their fingers, I put a couple layers of matte medium over it, but that made it look dull.   :-(  It has lots of texture!  But less than before. (I also used a tiny but of the pumice medium on the rocks and on the road in the Spoonbill hornbill duckbill painting.)

In the Pocket:

Twin Poppies
oil on Graham Cracker box treated with acrylics
Mary Stebbisn Taitt

Flute Practice
oil and Arches Oil Paper
Mary Stebbins Taitt

Flute practice, side view
showing topography of oils

Mike, take the oils out and let them dry some more.  I hope they survive the journey to your house!!!

Cassandra Elise Lapwing revisited yet again (I'm probably still working on this):

Nightmare: When you get him home, he's not what he seemed

Nightmare:  When you get him home,
he's not what he seemed
(Glass eye, wig, wooden leg and silver nose.
Click image to view larger
Faber-PITT pigment pens
+watercolor

I started working in pigment markers, because we have company and I didn't want to get out the watercolors, water, brushes, palette, etc.  They went out, and I switched water color--I have to say, I like water color so much better.

The Moray Eel App Nightmare

The Moray Eel Nightmare
Mary Stebbins Taitt & Andrea Martinez
in Aya's Mole
Faber Castelle Pigments pens
Click on the image to see it MUCH larger

We have out of town company and after dinner, they decided to play poker.  While they were drinking and playing poker, I did art, if you can call it that!

I've been painting so many Moray Eels that I am starting to have nightmares about them.  Even innocuous dreams morph into something terrifying!