Thursday, May 23, 2013

Botanical Illustrations in Ballookey's Moleskine

Ballookey's Moleskine arrives in Detroit
in time for spring.
2-page spread
Glechoma hederaceae
click images to view larger

Glechoma hederaceae
botanical diagrams

Glechoma hederaceae
botanical painting, acrylics
I'm in a Moleskine Exchange group and a new Moleskine arrived belonging to Ballookey who did the horse in the first picture. I did 2 botanical illustrations of Clechoma hederaceae.

I am sorry to report that I am not only still sick, but I am also getting worse rather than better.  I have a medical procedure scheduled May 30, which is supposed to help and I hope and pray it does.

I kind of messed this up a little, and I apologize.

Sunday, May 12, 2013

Eel Revisited

Moray Eel
mixed media
acrylic, gouache watercolor
click image to view larger.
Here is the completed version of the painting  started in the previous post.  It is in Andrea's Moleskine, part of the circulating Moleskines in the group I belong to.

Saturday, May 11, 2013

Happy Mother's Day!

Me, Mary Stebbins Taitt
with my mother's day gifts
Click images to view larger
Moray eel, in progress
in Andrea's book
with new paints
I was very excited to receive a package from my kids for mother's day, new paints.  I plunged right in and have been having fun mixing violet, yellow ochre and blue in Andrea's book.

I wish a happy mother's day to your mothers, grandmothers, wives or to you, if you're a mother.

Friday, May 10, 2013

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.

Tuesday, May 07, 2013

Gnu is his Canoe

Mr. Gnu in his canoe
Raced Yak in his kayak
click image to view larger.
This is my second painting in Andrea's Mole, an illo for San Cassimally's Animal Carnival.  It is done in acrylics.  It took me ten days to paint it and two more to scan and post it.  I regret to say I'm still sick and it's taking a lot out of me.

I posted the steps (4 coats of paint) here, but don't have time to do it again.  At least, not now.