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.

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.

Red-headed Woodpecker in Ballookey's Moleskine Sketchbook

Red-headed Woodpecker, Watercolor

I guess I am on a woodpecker kick.  Water color, 5 x 8.  Click image to view larger.

1st half of a collaboration with Ammon Perry

This is my first piece in Mike's Round 3 sketchbook and it is my collaboration for Ammon, 1st half. I haven't named it because I do not know what Ammon will make of it. Click image to view larger.

Lotus Meditation for Lost Souls

This is done in Faber-Castell PITT Artist brush pens, pens, pencils, colored pencils. The second is the two-page spread. It wouldn't fit on my scanner so I took a snap. Sorry about the reflections. Image size increases slightly when clicked upon.

Jacob and the Waterspout

This is my third page in Ballookey's Mole. It is an illustration (or study for an illustration) from my as yet untitled brand newly written children's book. The temporary title is, Jacob, Merjon, and the Dream Fish. It's (obviously) a children's picture book. This page occurs several pages into the book, but it's the first one I've done. I have not decided yet what medium I want to work in, but I kind of like the line drawing. However, I wanted fog, and I don't know how to create fog in a line drawing in pen and ink. Micron 005 pen. Click image to view larger--click again to view even larger.

We got snow down our backs

1)We got snow down our necks: watercolor with masking fluid and salt

2)first half of a collaboration with Ammon: pen and ink, touch of watercolor.

"We got Snow in Our Boot!"

"We got snow in our boots," by me, Mary Stebbins Taitt

Water color and water color blocker. No gouache. (click image to view larger.)

This is the piece whose sketch I ruined and had to do over. I did it without references--I do better with references, but my computer was unavailable.

(At least I am feeling a little better today.)

I've been doing lots of other work but haven't had time to post it.

But we went anyway

"But we ran anyway," page two of an imaginary kids' story. Watercolor. I did the snowflakes and flying snow with both masking fluid and gouache.

Click image to view larger. (The scan isn't great either.)

I am still sick. :-(

Why I should never paint or do art when I am sick (or without sleep, as sickness tends to leave me):

• I made a lot of stupid mistakes. :-(
• I kept leaving the water color palette open when I wasn't using it and then setting my hand or arm or the Mole in it. :-(
• I worked really hard on a sketch for the next piece and then proceeded to totally ruin it beyond redemption so I have to start all over again.

Luckily, this is my own Mole (round 3), hope things improve before the next one.

Keith Arches Aquarelle

Or should I spell it Aqvarelle?

I painted this on the paper that covers a new pad of Arches watercolor paper. I am going to put it in the pocket of the next full-size mole that comes my way in round 2 or 3 (whichever comes first.) at is 7 x 10 and painted in gouache. There are real (unused) stamps on it. Some are to help mend the tears I made when removing the black cover sheet and others are to balance out those doing a mending job. I was going to use stickers, but couldn't find them. I will come back here later and announce whose mole got this painting. (Click image to view larger).

Joan's Magnolia

The magnolias are in full flower in Detroit, but going by soon. We stopped to enjoy Sam and Joan's magnolias when we visited them yesterday and I was inspired to paint them.

This was done with three "colors," Windsor Red deep (wc), Hooker's Green Dark (wc) and white (gouache). No other paint.

Portrait of ML Liebler

Here's my latest watercolor sketch of ML Liebler reading poetry among the artwork on the Scarab Club Gallery. Click image to view larger.

A Bird in the Hand

A Bird in the Hand, first half of a collaboration with Mike Kline in Ash's Mole. BB and I took a hike at Dodge park and at the far end, farther than we'd ever been before, we found this dead robin in some branches that looked like a skeletal hand so that's what I made it into. This is in the front of the Mole, as there aren't enough pages for everyone otherwise.

I did it in ballpoint pen and gouache.

Living Statues

I have been fascinated with the living statues at the Renaissance Faire. I've taken lots of pictures of them (and slipped one into Hennie's Mole.) I decided to try to paint two of them, but ended up drawing one with Faber-Castell PITT artist brush pens (pigment markers) and then painting over the white parts with white gouache. I could take some lessons from Anders on making good folds!!! I did the other in ball point pen because it is for Mike to finish and he often likes to work in ball point pen. I left the column out on that one because I wanted to give him maximum creative control on subject, materials, space etc. When I was all done, I decided that the living statues are a better subject for photography than art, because the pure whiteness of them doesn't seem as striking in the art pieces as it does in the photos--too late--they're already done. Click images to view larger.

Two New Pieces

The Grand Canal in Venice, by Mary Stebbins Taitt. Original gifted to ES, as part of the gouache European Series.

And here's my collaboration with Steve Loya in Hennie's Mole. I am calling it: Diaphony, Dancers with Scarves.

Click images to view larger.

New Mole Sketch: Nora's Entry

Nora's Entry, by Mary Stebbins Taitt. pigment markers. ~ 8 x 10. Click image to view larger.

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.

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!!!

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.