Watch

This is an experiment. I created this digital image from two photographs I took.  I posted it to cowbird and from cowbird to Pinterest and from Pinterest here.  Weird.  If you click the image twice, once here and once at Pinterest, you'll end up at the Cowbird story, with a much larger image.

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.

Modify, for Illustration Friday

Modify, for Illustration Friday, by Mary Stebbins Taitt. You can see various steps in the modification of this image. See it larger here. The blueish one is the first of the marker versions.

Everyone We Love II

Detail from Everyone We Love II, by Mary Stebbins Taitt. See full picture here and read about it here. (For Mick Mather and Jim Doran).

Self-portrait of the Artist as a Camera Lens

Self-portrait of the Artist as a Camera Lens, by Mary Stebbins Taitt.
For Mick and Laura. See alternate version here.

Self-Portrait as a Divided Woman

Self-Portrait as a Divided Woman, by Mary Stebbins Taitt. For Laura T. (See another.)

The Yellow Lighthouse

The Yellow Lighthouse, by Mary Stebbins. Digitally altered photo-composit Smudge painting. This scene was made by combining pieces of photos and smudging them in photoshop--it does not exist as seen here in the phenomenal world.

Colors Sketch, orange and purple, of BB for Creative Every Day

It's not April yet, but I was reading about "the totally optional theme for April" at Creative Every Day. The themes for April is COLORS and one of the suggestions was to try using colors you don't usually use. I use all the colors "as I need them," but rarely start out with orange
or purple and probably use those two colors less than others, so I decided to do a sketch of BB in orange and purple--which I did, last night. Today, I added white and black. Of course I realize now that orange is not that far from skin tones and purple is a good shadow color, so with the addition of black for pupils (the purple was too pale) and white for his beard (the purple was too dark), it gives a reasonable representation. Of course, I could have used paler and paler and darker and darker shades of orange and purple, but did not. I will probably, time allowing, play with this some more.

I did this on photoshop on my Mac using my Cintiq tablet and Wacom pen from life, with BB sitting on the couch falling asleep last night before I left for my sleep study. I had to request that he open his eyes. LOL! I did it very hastily because I only had about 20 minutes before I had to leave. This morning I just added the white and black.

Subtraction: Dream of the Waning Blood Moon

Subtraction: Dream of the Waning Blood Moon, By Mary Stebbins Taitt. Cartoon, for Illustration Friday. Question: When something is taken away, does something else fill its place? When do dreams go when they are subtracted from the night?

Today's work, in part from a fractal created on Apophysis (A free download for PCs*) and in part with cartoon images my creation.

*(Oxidizer and FractalWorks are free fractal downloads for Macs)

INSTINCT: Raven Flight

Raven Flight, by Mary Stebbins Taitt. For Illustration Friday's current challenge, Instinct. Dedicated to Bernd Heinrich. I decided to do some more work on this, so here is the new version, above. Yesterday's version below.

I am reading his book, Mind of the Raven. He says ravens are very
intelligent and they do many things that are learned, inventive, creative. However, flying must still be an instinct for them.

This is a digital painting created on photoshop with my tablet and my tablet pen. I did not use any filters or "effects," but just "painted" it with the tablet pen. This is utterly brand new today. Click image to view larger. Also for creative Every Day (CED). I've been writing LOTS of poems.

Easter Basket

Easter Basket, by Mary Stebbins Taitt, take 7. Yes, I know it's a bit early, but I made this as a blog illo for a poem I wrote this morning. It is a digital collage/art piece I made by combining bits of art and photographs and then fiddling in photoshop with the resulting collage.

Blackboard Girl, Take 3

Blackboard Girl, by Mary Stebbins Taitt. Trying to learn to post pictures directly from Leo, my Mac Leopard. I am having trouble learning to use my Mac and the new Tablet is hooked to the Mac. This was a quick sketch to practice posting.

Painting with a Brick

Painting with a Brick, by Mary Stebbins Taitt. (Self Portrait). Made with the mouse on Photoshop, which is like "Painting with a Brick." Revisited and reworked a piece from last year.

Biker Buddy on the Couch

Biker Buddy on the Couch, by Mary Stebbins Taitt. This is my third attempt to make a from scratch painting with my new Cintiq tablet that I got for Christmas. I do not seem to be improving much! AK! There was no photo involved here, I just sat looking at BB and "painting" him directly onto the computer.

Niche, Predjama Castle (Grad Predjama, Slovenia)

Niche, Predjama Castle (Grad Predjama, Slovenia), by Mary Stebbins Taitt. For Nadine, over at In Blue Ink, because she likes European windows and niches.

This began as a photograph, which I painted over digitally with a smudge brush. I then added the flowers and leaves with a combination of collage (compositing) and digital painting. I will post the original photo here for your comparison if you are interested.

We are in Syracuse NY and I will not always have internet access, so responses and comments may be slow or nonexistent until I return home. I started this in the car on the way here, and just finished it. Click the image to view it larger.

Memories: From a Memory of Dreams I

From a Memory of Dreams I, by Mary Stebbins Taitt. For Illustration Friday and for my Bloggy Friend jo(e) who has nightmares about snakes. (So do I sometimes). (But I like snakes.) The altered version of the fractal posted below is one of the layers in the image. This is a brand new piece today that I did for this challenge and for jo(e).