Janathon Day 31 and New Art

YAY!  it's the last day of Janathon and I walked 51 minutes around a large series of block in our neighborhood, starting with walking to the Post Office to mail my Sketchbook Project Sketchbook!  It needed to be postmarked today.  Today was it's deadline.  Then I walked to Ja-Anne Fabrics and around the long way home.

I couldn't sleep last night, I was up with restless insomnia, so I painted the cover of my Sketchbook--probably a bad idea, since I was tired and out of it.  But the thing has to be mailed today and tomorrow is the deadline for the Kresge Fellowship application which I am also working on.  And the paint needed time to dry.

When I painted it, I didn't realize the little protective cover I had made for the bar code went up as far as it did, and when I peeled off the cover, half my name and date were gone--too late.  Also, I painted the name on while the paint below it was still wet, because I wanted to go back to bed.  Bad plan.  I just left it--maybe I will do bette next time.

Sketchbook Cover
Acrylic heavy body.
(It has LOTS of texture)

Since my book's theme (which I let THEM assign) was the companion book. I made a companion for the white cat (already a companion).  Acrylic heavy body.

Black Cat
colored pencil

Two-page spread

One of the pages I had left had really bad bleed-through, and on previous bleed-through pages, I had tried all kinds of things--pastels (nope, they bled back through the other side), converting the bleed-through into a changed image--some were so bled through that the new image was boringly like the first one, and so on, so this time, I created an images on artrage on the computer, printed it, and pasted it in--last night while up at 2 AM.

"Surf"
artrage on iPad

At the top and the bottom, you can see the bleed-through, but it is worse in the center.  I hate that paper.

and, finally, the inside back cover:

Companion VII, Citrus
Acrylic and colored pencil
Yep, that's my companion

Two of the many moods of Keith.  What looks like dark brown in both images in the scan is actually somewhat shiny antique gold acrylic.

I am not terribly happy with this sketchbook, but it is the first sketchbook I have ever completed entirely on my own.  So, that's an accomplishment and hopefully, I've learned something and the next one will be better.

I did sign up for the next round.  Are you doing it again?

I took a video of the finished sketchbook and am going to try to embed it:

Janathon, Day 30 and new art

Butterfly
colored pencil
a tiny touch of micron pen

Design
Bleed-through remediation
This is the bleed-through from a previous design,r redecorated.

Some of the detailing is pretty subtle and doesn't show up on the scan.

I walked 23 minutes at home to VIllage and back 0n ice, (not counting the walking inside the store) and  then, immediately after, I walked 24 minutes at the mall, because I hated the ice.

Tomorrow is the last day of Janathon, and I don't think I will ever do it again, I hope, and I hope I remember not to do Junathon (or Julyathon.)  What a relief.  I walk every day and I do NOT need to blog about it!!! (BO-ring!)

Tomorrow is also the last day of the Sketchbook project (this round) AND he next day is the last day of The Kresge Fellowship application period.

The pressure is on!!!

The deadline for the Fellowship application is fast approaching. YIKES!

Janathon day 29

We've been having snow squalls.  I walked over to Rolandale (47 minutes) then shoveled for ten minutes.

I am working on my fellowship application.

Janathon Day 28 and Virtual Salon

Diane's Tree

Today I walked 45 minutes at Pier Park with Keith but no time for pictures.

Then we went to a salon at Erica's where I showed a print of a recent painting, read a poem, read a story, danced, ate yummy food, and shared the art and writings of other people.  This is a photograph of Diane's beautiful tree--I hope I have her name right.  It is made with paint and roots.  (Diane, if you see this, please give me your correct info).

Monita Rides again and Janathon Day 27

Monita the Mannequin
5 x 7. colored pencil

When I got the sketchbook, I was thinking of a nature Journal OR better yet, a children's story, but the paper was so crappy I spent all my time just trying to find a way to do art on it.  I wish I had taken it apart.  Next time, I will know better.  I did this on the bleed through from a pervious page.  I don't have time (too much else to do and not as fast or creative as Aya) to start over now.  (I am applying for a fellowship in poetry and the deadline is the same day and I have a LOT left to do!

I walked to Staples and then to the Village Market and home again, about an hour.  (Well over 45 minutes!)  I had an insomniac night last night.  I am exhausted.

More Sketchbook Project: Companion IV

Companion IV
by Mary Stebbins Taitt
5 x 5, colored pencils (and a tiny bit of micron pen)

This is my friend's cat.  The friend and cat prefer to remain anonymous. Unfortunately, the drawing on the previous page shows through, to some extent (too much to make me happy.)

Next time, I am going to take the book apart and replace the paper.

Janathon and another way the poor are being hurt

I walked 48 minutes from my house to the library and back, not counting the time I walked around inside the library.

Our libraries are in danger because of republicans, the internet and people buying books for their reading pleasure--which is a good thing for authors, but a bad thing for the poor.

Our libraries and closing one by one.  DO you care?  I DO!!!  I use the library every week.  Saves me lots of money and helps people can't afford to buy books.  At the library, they are FREE to read.

SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL LIBRARY, read a book.  (From the library!)

AND get out and vote for the libraries!

(The first image is a pretty house between my house and the library.)

Janathon Day 25 and New Art

I walked 20 minutes to the store and back, not counting all the time I walked around inside the store and then walked 30+ from the SilK Creek Retreat house while watering african violets.

I have a BUNCH of deadlines coming up and am getting quite resentful.  If you leave a comment and I dont' respond, be patient, and HOPEFULLY I WILL get back to you.

"Companions II:"  on the left is the bleed-through from the previous page which I re-decorated.
You may not be able to tell, but it actually is different than the one on the flip side.
on the right is a new portrait of Keith in metallic pens.

Trying again for an abstract design--mine are NEVER
as good as Andrea's!

"Companions I:"  Keith, me, and KT at Dylan's talking and listening to Dr. Bop.

Companions II:  me myself and I keeping each other company in the covers of this book.
(The Companion Boo is the theme of the sketchbook.)
This is the inside of the front cover and is actually much darker than it looks here in the scan.

Unfinished Collaboration with AT

I'm trying to diet
Need I say more?
This is also a collaboration with AT

What it looks like not soothed
Collab with AT

Janathon Day 24 and work on my current art piece

Village Market, Mack

Today I got my exercise (47 minutes) running errands on foot.  I went to the post office (and mailed two books to my grandson Frankie), to the pharmacy (and got a new prescription), and to the Village Market for groceries (which I proceeded to make into a yummy dinner of salmon and seafood Newberg with vegetables.).

Then I worked in my oil panting--so messy, I worked on it last night when I couldn't sleep, in the morning today and again in the evening after dinner.  It is still not done, but closer.

Keith in oils by me, Mary Stebbins Taitt
8 x 10
last night during an insomnia attack
he looks too fat

the one above is #2, #1 was posted yesterday.

Keith unfinished in oils, by me, Mary Stebbins Taitt
8 x 10, the lucite bridge is to help me paint without smearing.
Trying to get rid of that "round look.  #3

Keith unfinished in oils, by me, Mary Stebbins Taitt
8 x 10
Tonight's work, #4

The painting is still very wet (and as yet unfinished) which means I cannot scan it and it is hard to photograph well.