Mary in Andrea's: Let's invite all our friends, the creatures, to come

Frankie and Noah
Homemade paint from French pigments.
Click image to view larger

My scanner isn't working again and the photographs don't quite look right.

Frankie was talking to Noah one day 

When suddenly he leaned close to say

Let's invite all our friends, the creatures, to come

to my house to party, to eat and have fun.

Noah applauded this wonderful plan

And laughed with delight like a very wise man. 

Mary in Andrea's: green beans and Pickles

Green Beans and Pickles.

I finished my pictures in Andrea's Mole (several days ago, actually), but there is one more to be scanned or photographed.  Unfortunately, I am not sure when I will be able to mail it because my schedule for the next few days is plum filled up.

Home made paint from French pigments, watercolro and gouache.

And they partied and giggled and laughed and hoorayed

and ate green beans and pickles and danced hard and played.

Mary in Andrea's: Noah helped Frankie write words on some paper

Noah helped Frankie write words on some paper
Invitations to come to their party and caper
Watercolor and gouache on wc Moleskine
by Mary Stebbins Taitt
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This is my latest painting (illustration) and is for one of the children's books I am working on, Frankie and Noah have a Party.  It is done in Andrea's Moleskine, Round 4, Pass 2.  It is all watercolor except the blue background, which is gouache, on Moleskine watercolor paper.

Here is the text for this page:

Frankie helped Noah write on some paper                    

Invitations to come to a party and caper 

They’d fill up balloons with helium vapor

If they filled up enough it would lift up a tapir   

The pigeons and crows and the owls and wrens

carried the invites to their animal friends. (by me, of course)

The picture is of my grandson Frankie, who is three years old, and the finished book will be for him.

Half-widow Black Widow collab, 1st half, for Mike in Andrea's

Half-widow
Black Widow collab, 1st half,
for Mike in Andrea's
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This is my collaboration for Mike, half a black widow spider.

I'm late, I'm late for a very important date

My collaboration with Aya, in Andrea's book. Inspired by real life where I posted a photo of my latest purple and pink hair to Facebook with the caption "Don't hate me because I'm colorful".

Sorry that I'm terribly late on this - I'm overwhelmed with work and I knew I would be. I almost didn't do this round of the exchange because I knew I would get this busy - it happens every year. But I did a lot of work in Andrea's book while at work, in the form of little doodles and vignettes. I'll post them throughout the weekend as I finish touching them up or pasting them in.

Last one in this cycle of Round 4 in Andrea's: Moray Eel

Moray Eel
mixed media
by me, Mary Stebbins Taitt
first half of a collaboration with Mike Kline
please click image to view larger

Normally, When I am doing a collaboration with Mike, first half, I like to work in somewhat graphic black and white to make it easier for him to collaborate with me.  However, I had just received new acrylics from my kids for Mother's Day (HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!) and wanted to play with them.  You know, kids with new toys?

This is a two page spread.  The first 1/4 of the spread (half a page) is with the new acrylics. The second quarter (1/2-page) is with a combination of watercolor, gouache and acrylics.  Then, 1/8 spread (1/4 page in black watercolor, followed by Faber-Castelle pigment pens.  The purpose of all that was to hopefully create something to which Mike could easily attach his work.  (I hope).

Mike, please feel free to change any part of this piece, add to it, darken it, whatever, to make it work with your style.  This could be one long eel, an eel coming out of a hole, two eels entwined, an eel being scooped up by a new, or any number of things--so I hope you enjoy it, Mike.

This completes my work in Andrea's mole.  I have to gather up the pocket items, which I have already posted quite some time ago, and pack up the mole, but since it is Sunday, I cannot mail it.  Mike, it should be on its way to you within a few days.

Andrea's book - off to Michelle

My, it's taken me a while, but Andrea's book is finally on it's way to Michelle. I posted a sneak peak back in September of this first drawing of my grandmother, mother and I. I finally finished it off with a photo of my great-grandmother.

When I originally started this book, my husband's aunt went into the hospital for about the fourth time in the last few months. Each time she went in, she came back a bit weaker and weaker, and at 91 years old, I was deeply concerned about her well-being. I originally thought to make this drawing about her, but then I changed my mind, realizing that I've never done a drawing of my own family members.

After doing this drawing, I got utterly swamped by what were supposed to be out-of-town house guests. They ended up canceling on me at the last minute, but I spent most of October doing renovations on our house to get it ready, only to find I needn't have rushed. Even though the houseguests never materialized, near the end of the month of October, my husband and I met one of our musical heroes in a whirlwind weekend full of missed sleep, concerts, old old friends not seen in decades, new friends just met and lots of drinking and dancing all around.

Then, my husband's aunt passed away on October 30th. Even though I expected it, we were still greatly saddened by her going. We live in her house and have seen all the remnants of her great wild life.

In the mean time, my own mother went into the hospital for a relatively mild problem. She had some minor surgery, and after five days, she went home. I was concerned about her anyway, because she has a history of not seeking out medical help. Even though she was a Registered Nurse in her day, she had what I thought was a foolish affinity for all kinds of new-age nonsense and routinely rejected sound medical science. I was afraid that one of these times, she'd put off seeking medical help until it was far too late, and that would be the end of her.

I had already started the drawing for the next piece in Andrea's book, and it felt more appropriate than ever.

On November 20th, I finally got a break from the aunt's funeral preparations and aftermath and I finally finished the skulls shown above.

At 5:30 am the next day, my sister called me in tears because we had lost our mother. When I saw the completed drawings in the book still open on my desk, I couldn't believe the subject matter I'd chosen for Andrea's book.

So I went to Colorado to help my dad & sis' cope with all that funeral stuff again. I had already done a drawing for the next two pages in Andrea's book, but as I was flying back home to California, I had a whole new idea and so this entry was very last minute.

I'm not sure if I actually believe the above sentiments, but it captures the emotional essence of my trip back home to deal with my mother's passing pretty accurately.

And lastly, what I had been planning all along for the collaboration page: My husband's aunt collected an incredible number of stamps over her career as a bookkeeper for Union Pacific railroad, and then later at some engineering company. In both occupations, she sorted the inbound mail from an astonishing number of countries and compulsively saved all the stamps.

I've personally only spared one huge box of stamps. Her sister took the other boxes and books and sold them to a stamp dealer - which is probably good considering the inordinate amount of time I spend looking at them any time I start going through them. I can't keep this hoard around forever, though, so in going through them I'm setting aside only my favorites. The rest are designated for use in art projects.

I included several large blocks of stamps still stuck to corners of envelopes for Michelle or whoever might like to use them in some way.

I think the wallpapered page looks pretty cool, and I suspect I'll do this again. ;)

The past is calling - in progress

I thought I'd post a little progress shot of what I'm doing with Mike's collaboration in Andrea's book. That's me, my mother, and my grandmother. I just found a photo of my great-grandmother, so I'm hoping to fit it in there somehow.

Check out those crazy octagonal glasses my mom was wearing! She used to be so trendy - in the 1970's! LOL