Front of Envelope: Dreaming Fish

Dreaming Fish Envelope
acrylics
Mary Stebbins Taitt

OK, here's the finished front of the envelope.  I've continued the dream theme, with a dream, not a nightmare.  In this dream, I was talking to the fish who was dreaming the world.  (Maybe that is a nightmare?  It didn't seem like it, though.)  Fish dream with their eyes open!

I have an operation Thursday, and I may be in the hospital several days and then bedridden for a while--doc says I'll be incapacitated anywhere from 2-3 weeks to 2-3 months.  (?)  That's a pretty wide span.  Meanwhile, I am sick.

I will get this to the PO sometime before Thursday, I hope.  And when I do, I will let you know.  I have no idea how these will survive the journey.

Back of Envelope, A Dream of Floating

A Dream of Floating
acrylic, envelope

I decided to continue the dream theme on the envelope.  I don't know how well it will hold up to the journey.

Little Dream Sketches for Aya's Pocket

Aya's pocket says, "add dreams here" (Or something like that).  So even though I had previously done two pocket items, I did two quick little sketches of dreams for the dream pocket.

In my flying dreams, I am not always sure
if I am flying or falling.

Sometimes, I can walk through walls
in my dreams!
Click images to view larger.

These are just little, done with gouche on red-colored card stock.

Ballookey in Mike's

Lotsa photos on this post!

First up, here's the collaboration Aya set up for me before I did anything:



I stenciled in a moon and starry sky. I had already done the other pages first, and I wanted the color of this one to be as heavy as the rest.



There is something I want to add to this image, but I think I'll wait until the book comes back around to do it. How's that for a cliff-hanger for you? ;)



While Mike's book was here, I really felt like using spray paint and stencils, so I cut this koi fish stencil based on a sketch I did a while back:



I had more than one idea how I wanted to use it, so I went ahead and did it a few ways. One, in a yin yang arrangement with itself. I used matte black for the background, glossy black for one fish, and Poison Green from Montana for the other fish. Jebus, I love Montana spray paint! So silky and vibrant! Expect to see me doing more of this in your books!





On the facing page, I used an old technique for painting water waves that I learned from a book on airbrushing. I never was any good at airbrush, but I always wanted to use the technique because it's so stupidly simple. So I gave it a try, then stenciled a lotus floating on the pond.


Most of these pages have some details that I added in marker. In some cases, the spray paint made the details of the stencil blurry so I sharpened them up by hand. In other cases, I just wanted to add a bit more.



Both pages together:



Next, I wanted to see the koi in copper paint. Same stencil, but completely different feel:



I reused the lotus stencils to make these shapes in the corner:



On the facing page, I felt I'd done the fish enough, but I wanted to have the same colors and look, so I made a stencil of a bird, tree branch, and clouds in the background.


This bird came out very fuzzy, so I went over a lot of details with marker.


Both pages:



Then, I stenciled the bird again in Dolphin blue on a blank page for Andrea to work with. I also stenciled it on our garage door. (eep!)


This book is on it's way to Andrea today.

in Aya's Moleskine: Mary's Nightmares

Nightmare:  The Lion
Click images to view larger

Mandala in Earth Tones

Half a husband
1st half of a collab for Mike of Biker Buddy

We have out-of-town company and I am sick.  When they are sitting around talking and drinking, I keep them company in my nightgown doing art.  I have completed my work in Aya's Moleskine, and will send it on to Mike.  Soon, will let you know when I do.  Obviously NOT today, since it is Sunday.  Also, I'm so sick it's hard to get to the PO.  I already made 2 too-big pocket items, so I may something smaller.

MIKE, feel free to darken and thicken the lines and make it more graphic.

In the nightmare, which woke me up in literal terror, I was at the coliseum watching the lions about to eat the Christians when one of the lions spotted me in the stands, bounded over the wall and up over the seats toward me.  He was coming for ME.

The mandala was done primarily with pens given to me by Hennie Mavis (Heidi).

In Aya's: Nightmare: When you get him home, he's not what he seemed

Nightmare:  When you get him home,
he's not what he seemed
(Glass eye, wig, wooden leg and silver nose.
Click image to view larger
Faber-PITT pigment pens
+watercolor

I started working in pigment markers, because we have company and I didn't want to get out the watercolors, water, brushes, palette, etc.  They went out, and I switched water color--I have to say, I like water color so much better.

Collaboration with Andrea: The Moray Eel App Nightmare

The Moray Eel Nightmare
Andrea Martinez & Mary Stebbins Taitt
in Aya's Mole
Faber Castelle Pigments pens
Click on the image to see it MUCH larger

We have out of town company and after dinner, they decided to play poker.  While they were drinking and playing poker, I did art, if you can call it that!

I've been painting so many Moray Eels that I am starting to have nightmares about them.  Even innocuous dreams morph into something terrifying!

Arrove: Aya's Mole in Mary's entryway and Garden

The arrival of Aya's Mole
cell phone shot

Sorry about the crappy cell-phone shot.  Looking at the pix in the mole as always is such a joy and they are so much better in person than on the blog, although they are nice to see there, too!

A small bit of bad news of sorts, the two pocket items I made for Aya's pocket were made for the larger size mole and as they are 7 x 10 inches, a good size the bigger moles, they will never fit in her pocket, so I either have to mail them to her directly or enclose in the next mole, to be removed by her when that mole gets around her.  WHICH should I do?

I have to let you know I am still sick AND we are having out of town company for the weekend, arriving today and staying through Monday.  Dunno whether I'll be able to do any art or not.

For Aya's Pocket: Goat rowed his boat With his friend Stoat

Goat rowed his boat

With his friend Stoat watercolor, arches 140 lb cold-pressed paper 7 x 10

"Goat rowed his boat

With his friend Stoat" San Cassimally, painting by me, for Aya's pocket.

I painted the boat and the stoat (weasel) with a small koi waterbrush and koi paints from my field kit, because we have company coming and I didn't want to make a big mess, then I got everything out anyway and painted the rest with Windsor Newton paints and one BIG round brush.

I'm hoping to make a kids' book for my grandson.

A few little phone pics from my work in Aya's book.

I decided to continue with the theme that Aya started and Ballookey continued.

I don't think I did Ballookey's lovely dark horse justice on this page.  :(

Still trying - forever trying - to create a perfect mandala.  

You know the perfect circle drawing exercise.

A hot fan blows in your face.  Isn't that horrible?

Forgive the question, are we shipping on the 15th or the 1st.  How have y'all been working?  I know I should know that, but for whatever reason it is just not in my head.  If it's the first I'll try and make up some time with the next book Mary.

I hope all of you are well.

For Aya's Pocket: Bison bicycled and gave a ride to Shrike on his Bike

Bison bicycled and gave a ride to Shrike on his Bike
words by San Cassimally
art by me
watercolor

I think I get Aya's book next.  This is for her pocket.  Watercolor, 7 x 10 arches paper, Windsor Newton and Turner watercolors, round synthetic brushes and one small filbert.  Oh, and I did the shadow with a chinese bamboo brush, lol.  I'm not overly fond of this, unfortunately.  The calf-bones are too long.  I see now how I might fix it, by making the upper leg larger, but I'd have to start over from scratch.

MAILED! Ballookey's to Mike

Moray Eel
acrylics and soufflé pen
Click images to view larger

detail

Moray eel
acrylics and souffle pen

Ballookey's mole is on it's way to Mike.

Baboon Loon and Racoon Dropped in a Balloon, Pocket item for Ballookey

Baboon Loon and Racoon

Dropped in a balloon

I made a second water color for Ballookey's pocket on 7 x 10 Arches 140 lb paper, another illo of San Cassimally's Animal Carnival.  This completes my work in and for this mole, so I will be packaging it up and sending it off to Mike soon. I did this one with the water brush again, but I will probably switch back to regular brushes.  Except for en pleine air work, or for certain things they're good for.  Fine detail work, for one thing. (The Koi brush is really good for detail.)

...and in the pocket

A copy of Tom Wait's album

Also in Mary's

Mary also made this cool dino \ dragon for me to complete. this was really fun.

Mary's Book

I had a whole other idea, but then Mike's fish tail made it totally impossible since I couldn't resist making it into a whale. And so, I decided to use the lyrics of one of my favorite songs. Fish and Bird by Tom Waits, from one of my favorite albums, Alice. A bunch of songs he wrote for a German theatrical adaptation to Alice in Wonderland.

My half page for Ballookey

Aardvark, Shark, Lark, Ark, Dark: Pocket item for Ballookey

Aardvark with Shark and Lark

Sailed in their ark (in the dark)

This is a pocket item for Ballookey.  It's watercolor on 140 lb cold-pressed Arches paper, 7 x 10.  It was entirely painted with the water brushes that you fill with water.  I got two new ones and wanted to try them out.  One is a fine point Koi that came with a field set, which I'd never used, so I used it last night and in the wee hours this morning when I couldn't sleep.  The other is a Niji flat.  I painted most of the painting with Niji and then added the detail with the Koi brush.

This is theoretically for the series I am doing of San Cassimally's book, Animal Carnival.  However, as you can plainly see, it is in a different medium and different style than the others, so I will probably redo it?  (Or redo the others?)  I just really wanted to play with watercolors.