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.

Last Gasp in Mike's Moleskine

Everyone cheered to watch racers run
"final?"
by me, Mary Stebbins Taitt

I am finally finished with Mike's Moleskine, and will mail it ASAP on hopefully Monday or Tuesday.
*The paper is getting progressively thicker!  Below is the prior version.  Since then I have repaired the head of the last wolf, opened Frankie's eyes, changed the color of the grass and added detail.  This was the hold-up. I kept fiddling with it, trying to get it right.

"Had Races and Won"

Acrylic on thin Moleskine paper*

4th coat

Because I had it so long, I did some additional pieces:

Biker Buddy
by Mary Taitt

At the end of a long day
By Mary Taitt

The Nature Conservancy wants to publish 20,000 elephant pictures, so I am trying to help them out.

Old Bull
collab for Mike

And a new pocket item--with elephants:

Dusk
card by Mary Taitt for Mike's pocket

"I dream someone is drawing cards that will determine not only my dreams, but also my future"

"I dream someone is drawing cards that will determine not only my dreams, but also my future"
by Mary Stebbins Taitt
water color, pen and ink

I really had this dream!  And as part of a dream yesterday morning, two small children were turning back and forth from kids to a snail and a slug and ricing through hot soapy water.  It was nerve-wracking to watch/dream!

This is my last piece in Aya's Mole this round.  Yet to do is one or more pocket items and the envelope.  I was going to start the envelope NOW, but the top is stuck on gesso and I can't get it off.

We have NO power at home, and slept at the studio last night.  The internet here is unbearably slow, and we don't have a smart phone, so I won't be online much until we get our power back at home.  Wish you love, joy, blessings!

I dream I need help securing a prisoner

I dream I need help securing a prisoner
by Mary Stebbins Taitt
in Aya's Moleskine

I got new pens and failed to test them for water-resistance--they SAID they were water-resistant but were not!  DUH!!!  I messed up--should have tested them.  They drew really nicely but bad when water added.  I do that intentionally sometimes, but in this case, did not want the ink to run.  I would have painted over the lettering but it would have been a disaster.

Collab for Mike

So, I have one more to do and I will mailing this Moleskine off to Mike.

We have company coming next week--our daughter Sarah and her husband Steve. We'll be busy getting ready, busy with them, busy catching up afterwards.  But fun!  YAY!

free-ranging fish return to their tank

The runaway fish return to their tank
by Mary Stebbins Taitt
watercolor and pen and ink
5 x 8

I dream that the free-ranging fish must be back in their tank before dawn or they will die.

I Dream the fish swim out of their aquariums at night

I Dream the fish swim out of their aquariums at night
by Mary Stebbins Taitt
in Aya's book

I did this tonight, September 2nd, but accidentally put the wrong date on.  This is a real dream I have.  Or, used to have repeatedly.  Haven't had it recently (I no longer have an aquarium; that may be why.

A Fox for Judi Fox

Fox
digitally altered painting
original painting 5 x 7 in water color and sparkly pens
for Judi Fox
by me, Mary Stebbins Taitt

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!!!

Bear Hare Air

"Bear and Hare went by Air"
my illo of San Cassimally's kids' book
Animal Carnivalacrylics
click image to view larger

Snail in Phlox
half a collab for Mike
Faber-Castelle pigment pens

I have completed (I think) the work in this rotation in Ballookey's Moleskine Sketchbook.  (I may do a little tweaking here and there.)

The Quill and the Inkwell

The Quill and the Inkwell
Acrylics, pens, tissue paper
click image to view larger.

Yes, I know that is not an inkwell, but a bottle.  Believe it or not, I'm old enough that I remember inkwells built into our desks at school.  This is made of torn pieces of tissue paper glued together with acrylic medium as well as acrylics applied with a sponge and ink.It is an illustration for a serial novel I am working on.

Keith, tired and contemplative
Quick-sketch with Sarasa pen and folk art acrylics
by Me, Mary Stebbins Taitt
please click to view larger.

Romance

by Mary Stebbins Taitt · 467 words

Theoretically, I am not a big fan of romance novels, but I've accidentally been on a streak of reading them because I didn't know they were romance novels; I thought I was reading crime/mystery novels. Theoretically, I don't like crime/mystery novels, either, but I've been trying my hand at writing one, for fun, and was looking at Nora Roberts, who seems doing well in the field—I am checking out her chops.

I learned, when researching Nora Roberts online, that her books are crossovers, a combination of crime and romance. GAK! If I were paying enough attention, I would have known that. The tension in the books comes not only from the escalating crimes, often murders, but also from the romantic stress. It would be delicious, if it weren't for the gushy stuff.

Two of the things I hate about genre fiction are the clichés and the predictability.

For example, all of Nora Robert's heroines (protagonists) look and act the same. They are tall, slender, have long legs, a full lower lip and are tough. Perhaps that's what Nora herself looks and acts like--or wishes she did. I know I have a tendency to want my protagonists to look a bit of like me, when I was younger—to be me, in a Walter-Mitty-ish sort of way.

In the current novel, Search, which, by the way, I have to sheepishly admit I am really enjoying, as I also enjoyed Chasing Fire, the last one I read, I keep predicting what I think will happen next. I was delightfully surprised when exactly what I expected to happen happened, but with a twist. Yes, an exciting, unexpected little warp as the plot thickens. (Yea thickening plot!)

But then, there's that awful romance: "I want to grow old with you," one character gushes to another.

Growing old together is sweet. But it is not for the faint of heart.

Sometimes, the one you love sickens and dies. Sometimes, you do. You each must endure and/or witness pain and suffering. Sometimes, the person you love disappears into their deteriorating brain cells and doesn't remember you--or you don't remember them.

I would be lying if I said I wasn't afraid.

I am.

Meanwhile, this is my husband, shown above. He is tired and contemplative after a long day’s work as I quick-sketch him at the dinner table. My love for this man, and his for me, not only continues, but also evolves and deepens.

This is the romance I prefer. Not wondering how our story will end (no happy ending, we're both going to die, like everyone else), but this every-day love we share. That's romance. Real romance.

Notes: the image above I quick-sketched and quick painted in my new California/Malaysia sketchbook at dinner 8/13/12, two nights ago. Sarasa pen and folk art acrcylics.

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.

Mike's Mole Almost ready to ship to Ammon

Hard times have hit--we had two floods. Photos, manuscripts, artwork, clothes, sleeping bags etc all got soaked. The house is chaotic with stuff spread out drying and boxed hauled up from the cellar. It will be long time before we get dug out. I had wanted to do some work on my kids books in Mike's mole, but the prep time was prohibitive.

1)Leopard. Faber-Caselle PITT astist pigment pens and PRANG metallics--the Prang pens ran out of ink, I bought more, they were a different color, I bought more--they were dry AND a different color--so I had to go with it--apologies. What do you do when the pen you start with runs out of ink in someone else's mole and you can't replace it? AK!! :-(

2)Impala, prey of the leopard--I pity them both face to face for the lifetime of the mole. One terrified and the other hungry but thwarted. Faber-Caselle PITT astist pigment pens and PRANG metallics

3)Pocket items, iPad Artrage painting print 4 x 6--I had to rescan the print because nothing was working that day!

4)pocket item #2--eagle skull. Just finished today. iPad Artrage painting print 4 x 6

5)Our living room at the house where we live--the studio house flooded too.

We are leaving for a short trip Thursday 6/16.

click images to enlarge.

"There but for fortune . . .

Go You or I, you or I."

Homesless and Hungry #100726-1313

New Art piece: I thought I would continue the theme I seem to be going with of homelessness. If hunger goes too far . . .

Pen and ink with watercolor, click to view a little larger.

Taking Homes from the homeless

If anyone knows Detroit, this is down near Eastern Market--it was a few years go. The bundle under the bridge is Dale's belongings. Now it is my understnding they made a walking trail there, so where is DALE? Where is he living? It's cold in Detroit in the winter--and hot in the summer.

Pen and ink and water color.

Sugary (Cotton Candy)

Sugary (Cotton Candy), by Mary Stebbins Taitt, for Illustration
Friday's Sugary Challenge. In Sketchboook, from sketchbook exchange,
pen and ink. (Ooops, I accidentally posted this to the wrong blog! Duh, meant to post it to Imagik, my main art blog.) (OK, forgive the repetition in this instance.)