Hatching: Watch Out World

Hatching: Watch Out World, here I come. For Illustration Friday

New art today. Click to view larger.

The Handiest Model

On the left is a value study of my husband's face at dinner, done in markers.

On the right is what will probably become our Christmas card this
year. Pen, marker and watercolors.

I sketched two pictures lightly in pencil facing each other as close
to each other (similar to each other, the "same") as I could, then
worked from there on each side.

In Flander's Fields

Watercolor, wet into wet.

Click to enbiggen.

More new art & one new fractal

These are "details" or crops. Click over to Imagik Art to see them full size. The fractal I made from Fractal Works and then photoshopped it. Click image to enbiggen.

Barn Value Sketch for painting

One of several value studies for a painting I am planning. This is with markers on 8.5 x 11 plain white paper.

I am planning on putting it in the pocket of the Moleskine I am working on for the Moleskine Exchange. Unfortunately, to get it to fit, I have to trim it.

Rage

Painted on Artrage.

Companion

New Piece in Anders Moleskine for the Exchange Group. Those of you who see this "in the flesh" will see that the scanner's idea of color-accuracy is a bit pathetic. Water color, gouache. Click to view larger.

First Draft of story illustration

From "The fairy Grandmother" Grandma visits!

Entangled

Entangled, collaboration with Steve Loya. Click to view larger. Brand new today.

Crone Ceremony: Collaboration with Steve in Ander's Mole

YAY! My next Moleskine arrived today, Ander's book, woo hoo! I'm so happy! As usual, the pieces are so wonderful to see up close and personal! YAY!

My first piece is a collaboration with Steve Loya. The finished piece is on top and his contribution is shown below. Unfortunately, the scanner didn't get the colors quite right, but I guess I can live with that. It's done with markers, some from Andrea. I discovered, as I'm sure many of the rest of you have, that some markers work MUCH better than others!!!

If you click on these, they will get larger.

apples revisited

pies tomorrow!

3 new value sketches

My first ever intentional value sketches. These are done very quickly on newsprint. The first two are with markers and the last with watercolors. Click to view slightly larger.

BB at dinner tonight

I made this tonight, first with gel pens and then colored
pencils--using only the basic colors (I had no flesh tones or anything
but like basic green, so I tried blending pink orange yellow and
brown. Unfortunately, the subtle tones did not scan well, and the ink
scanned much darker than the pencil. But oh well, here it is.

Postcard quick sketches

Gourds, BB. These are postcard-size watercolors, quickly done.

Trying for a likeness

A quick sketch from life of BB in the back of the Mole from the last round, which still has a few blank pages. I'd like to be able to do likenesses. Click sketch to enlarge. I'd really like to be able to do likenesses!!!

Happy

Halloween

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween!!!

Approaching Storm

I painted this last night while my out-of-town company sat and talked to BB, PB and me. Since I was at home and not at the studio, I painted the entire thing with one of those tiny pocket palette boxes (Windsor Newton). I didn't have my proper brushes, either. And I couldn't get a fine enough line with the masking fluid for the lightning. Oh well, here it is. It's a storm over a barn in Baldwinsville, NY, where I had to run and run to try to escape the coming storm. I will NOW package and mail the mole to Mike, I hope. Today is BB's birthday and I have a poetry class tonight and the girls (my daughters) just left a little while ago, so it will be tight. But I will try!

Fallen and Fading: Half a Sketch

Here's my half a sketch for this this round, done in water color. One more to go and then I can mail. My daughters will be here 'til Monday, will do it ASAP! (But don't want to rush it, either.)

These, this set, are the last moles in this "year-round" that everyone will see in person.

Autumn Dusk; One More done, one and a half to go

Autumn Dusk. I painted the rabbit and its surroundings in water color and then used block-printing ink and leaves I picked up in the yard to add the camouflage leaves around the rabbit. I used the 2010 one year calendar to roll out the paint and leaves. (Now I have a big mess to clean before my company arrives.)

I know today is the day to mail, but I just got back from a writing workshop and retreat and have out of town company coming and my son's homecoming is this weekend and he has his girlfriend coming from out of town. So I will be mailing late. I may not be able to do any more
until next week. So sorry.

Nearing the End, New One in Steve's Book

Water Color in Steve's Moleskine, 8.5 x 11 (by Me). This is a "detail, click image to view entire painting.

Another for Steve's Pocket

I'm not sure why I am making all these little sketches, but here they are. This one is called "Going by" and is done in water color on Utrech bristol, 4.5 x 6 inches. I cannot promise to make as many for future moles, as my projects very in intensity and duration, and thus, my available creative time also varies. You'll have to take your chances. The scan is a little darker than the original. Click image to view larger. In Steve Moleskine pocket.

Mozart in Heaven

Today is my father's birthday. He died in 1998, but every year on his birthday, to remember him, I make some piece of art. Often, I give it to a family member, but today, I am giving it to Steve, by placing it in his mole pocket.

The first is the original watercolor abstract, Mozart in Heaven, 5 x 8 on Utrech Bristol. In memory of my father, I painted it with a child's Crayola watercolor set.

The second one, Mozart in Heaven Blink, I added a color gradient in the background digitally in Photoshop. (Blink is Blue and Pink). My father loved Mozart--so do I. Click images to view a little larger.

Variant on Watercolor Abstract (Angel Light II)

The Cover of the current Aperture Magazine shows an abstract by William Eggleston, a great photographer who also does abstract art with markers. There are images inside of his work, and also on the website, though the ones int he Journal are much bigger. I was wondering if the cover image was digitally manipulated from a white original, and decided to try it with mine. (I don't claim my art is in the same style at all, mine was done in water colors, not markers.) It was just something I was eager to try and Steve gets the results in his pocket.

The title of the piece, Angel Light II, comes from the fact that the abstract reminded me of a many-winged cherubim. Click to view larger.

UP

1)UP, first full piece in Steve's book. Water color. 8.5 x 11.
2)UP, Angel Light. In Steve's pocket for Steve. (On ordinary paper.)

I "copied" the painting on the cover of Barbara Kingsolver's book, Small Wonder. I love Barbara Kingsolver, and have read ALL her books. The art was done by Paul Mirocha. He is much better than I am. I changed the orientation to landscape, and the arrangement of the birds and the detail and coloring of the background, as you will see if you look. Click here and scroll down. While you're there, you migt enjoy some of his other work.

My first collaboration

In Steve Loya's mole, read about it here.

Insomniac fractals

Click to view larger. Made on Fractal works.

Infinity III: Mirror Mirror

Infinity III: Mirror Mirror, by Mary Stebbins Taitt, for Illustration Friday. When BB and I were in Slovenia, staying in Bled, the elevators had mirrors all around and it looked as if our images went off into infinity. View larger by clicking on image.

I accidentally posted the wrong link the first time and didn't know how to undo it. So sorry. :-(

This is a quick sketch, brand new tonight.

Eve

Eve, by Mary Stebbins Taitt--variant on the version at Imagik Art.

Self portrait on cover of new Moleskine, by Mary Stebbins Taitt--view larger at Imagik Art.

Strong (skunk)

Strong (Skunk), by Mary Stebbins Taitt, For Illustration Friday: "Strong". Digital Smudge Painting. Brand new today.

Small Barn Again

Small Barn Again

Small Barn with Grape Arbors

Small Barn with Grape Arbors, Walled Lake, MI, by Mary Stebbins Taitt.
See larger at Imagik Photos.

Hostas in White Vase

Hostas in White Vase, by Mary Stebbins Taitt. Ortonized. See Imagik
Photos for larger version.

Raven

Raven, by Mary Stebbins Taitt, new today.

Farm by Moonlight, variation

Farm by Moonlight, variation, by Mary Stebbins Taitt. "Primitive
style" digital smudge painting.

Willie's Moleskine with my Work in it

Willie Baronet made the movie of HIS mole from the our first moleskine exchange and it has some of my work in it. Can you find my work among the others? I really love this exchange! View it bigger on You Tube!

Friday Fractal Thursday

Made these two with Fractalworks.

Through the Trellis (ox-eye daisy)

Through the Trellis (ox-eye daisy), by Mary Stebbins Taitt. This did
not scan well, so I was attempting to fix it in photoshop and art
rage, but I've decided it probably isn't a good candidate for that. I
like it on paper (A4 size [8.5 x 11]), but no matter how I try to fix
it on-line, it doesn't look the same as it does on paper. It's a
water color background with an oil flower, which gives it texture and
depth, but that doesn't translate well to digital imaging.

3 from my new Moleskine Exchange

1)Muskrat skull, six views
2)through the trellis (ox-eye daisy)[did not scan well]
3)Bird Woman in the tree-tops or self portrait of the artist as a
blue-footed booby.