Mary in Aya's Mole

Madonna and Child with the friendly Breezes

 Turner Acryl Gouache

Why was I in a Hurry?

 pen and watercolor

Down the rabbit hole

pen and watercolor

Sweet Treat

Pitt Artist's Pen

This is my collaboration with Mike Kline and an open collaboration for Steve or Aya. (So far just by me.)

Alice and the White Rabbit

 Watercolor and Pitt artists Pen

May I present the White Rabbit

 Turner acryl gouache

The Mad Hatter and the Cheshire Cat

 watercolor, pen and marker

Chines Shadows--the Rabbit

 after Ferdinand du Pulgaudeau

Keith as the Caterpillar from Alice in Wonderland

Pitt Artist's Pen, collab for Steve Spetseris

Happy Holidays--back of envelope

 Acryl Gouache and Faber Castell PITT artist pen

front of envelope--I'm not the Easter Bunny

Acryl Gouache and Faber Castell PITT artist pen

pocket items, small cards

Mary's First mailing for Round 5

So wait, I'm confused.  Are we supposed to be posting our work HERE or THERE (at the group page.)  I just posted there and guess I'll post here, too. As always, click images to view larger.

I painted, with acrylics, the front cover and am calling it:  "A Marriage Blessed by Love."

"A Marriage Blessed by Love"

 Then I painted 3 watercolors of animals, a fox, an owl and a pika.

fox, watercolor

owl, watercolor

pika, watercolor

 Then I made a half of a painting for Steve.

Frida, watercolor

Then I made 3 cards for a pocket gift for Steve.

Last gasp in Mike's

Everyone cheered to watch racers run
"final?"
by me, Mary Stebbins Taitt

I am finally finished with Mike's Moleskine, and will mail it ASAP on hopefully Monday or Tuesday.
*The paper is getting progressively thicker!  Below is the prior version.  Since then I have repaired the head of the last wolf, opened Frankie's eyes, changed the color of the grass and added detail.  This was the hold-up. I kept fiddling with it, trying to get it right.

"Had Races and Won"

Acrylic on thin Moleskine paper*

4th coat

Because I had it so long, I did some additional pieces:

Biker Buddy
by Mary Taitt

At the end of a long day
By Mary Taitt
markers, Copic, Faber-Castell pigment artist pigment markers,

The Nature Conservancy wants to publish 20,000 elephant pictures, so I am trying to help them out.

Old Bull
collab for Mike

And a new pocket item--with elephants:

Dusk
card by Mary Taitt for Mike's pocket

Pocket item for Mike: Block print card

Dining Out
A Block print card for Mike by Mary

I worked on this for three weeks--Duh, couldn't get it right.  I wanted to make Mike a block print because I like his highly graphic work and I wanted to give him something that honored that. I would do it over, because it isn't quite right, but I think it's time to finish up and send this on home.

More Mary in Mike's: Angry Man, Weird Keith, collab

"Angry Man"
Acrylic and oil pastels on Moleskine Paper
Mary Stebbins Taitt
Click any image to view larger

"Biker Buddy #20140218"

Acrylic and oil pastels on Moleskine Paper

Mary Stebbins Taitt

Click any image to view larger

This scan looks a little lighter on my screen than the actual painting.

Collab, first half, for Mike
Faber Castell artist pens (including dry one for dry brush)

Mary Working in Mike's" Early "Had Races and Won"

Often, when I start a new painting, I get very discouraged and wonder why I pretend to be able to do this.  It seems obvious I can't.  I want to give up, because it seems hopeless.

"Had Races and Won"
Acrylic on thin Moleskine paper
1st coat
click this or any image to view larger

"Had Races and Won"
Acrylic on thin Moleskine paper
2nd coat

The images are photos with a point and shoot camera, sorry about the reflections.  I'll start scanning, if I can, I'm having difficulties with my scanner!  :-(

This is a slow process for me, but I am working on i!  It is as of yet quite unfinished.

"Had Races and Won"

Acrylic on thin Moleskine paper

3rd coat

I added another layer of paint.  Most of the paint I am using is fairly transparent (although some is thick and opaque.  I Have to put many layers on to get it to look the way I want it,  I scanned this one, but the scanner is messing up and I don't have time right now to fiddle with it, and since it isn't done yet, I'll just post this--hope you can see the difference between the layers (versions) (drafts).

"Had Races and Won"

Acrylic on thin Moleskine paper*

4th coat

I've added a fourth layer of paint, which took about 4 days, and as you can plainly see, it is till quite a ways from being finished.  I added turtles in the audience at the lower because the space seemed too empty, but they need work, and I painted out the head of the wolf on the furthest left because its legs were too short.  Since the light is coming from above, slightly behind and to the right, I will have to do some work with the sun and shadows, which right now is just plopped on (To make the turtles more visible.).  Too bad, because I was reaching a point of being almost happy with the grass before.  I think the Dachshund is finished or nearly finished, and maybe the cat, too. The elephant is getting closer. (Too bad the scanner won't scan the gutter! :-( )  Frankie is my grandson and this is for a book for him.  The four dark corners are where the clips were holding the pages down.

*The paper is getting progressively thicker!

"Had Races and Won"

Acrylic on thin Moleskine paper*

5th coat

I changed the color of the grass, added the head back on the left-most wolf, worked ont he turtles and miscellaneous other changes.  I think I am nearly finished.

Mary in Aya's: Pocket items and envelope

Pelicans, front of envelope
Markers

Georges Braque
Back of envelope
Markers

For the pocket, I decided to make small note cards.

Fantasy in red
watercolor

I did the Fantasy in red first.

Fantasy in Blue
Mary Stebbins Taitt
Markers and pigment pens

I picked up on some of the shapes and composition of fantasy in red for my fantasy in in blue, and added an eye and a nose.  I "organized" the random lines in the wide band in fantasy in red into an eye.

Fantasy in Yellow
Mary Stebbins Taitt
Markers and pigment pens

For fantasy in yellow, I added a second eye and a mouth.  On the wide band, I made two eyes.

An Organization of Mind
Mary Stebbins Taitt
Markers and pigment pens

Because the two eyes on the wide band in Fantasy in  yellow resembled a mask, I decided I need one more (I had only planned to do three, in primary colors.)

The completed series

After I "completed" the series (or thought I had), I made one more card for my mother-in-law, who was having dinner with us, and although I hadn't intended it, it ended up to be the 5th in series.  However, it is not in the pocket because I gave it to her.

An organization of Mind II
Mary Stebbins Taitt
pigment pen and colored pencil
(NOT in pocket)

Kissed Frankie Goodnight
watercolor by Mary Stebbins Taitt
for my book
click to view larger.

They partied for days, weeks, months and years;

the sound of their laughter filled everyone’s ears.

They partied ‘til the moon came up in the sky

and then all creatures kissed Frankie goodbye.


*

I painted this with watercolors, finishing it (after many days of work), on 8/21/14 and today, I added the moon in Photoshop.   It is for the book I am working on for my grandson hopefully for his birthday, otherwise for Christmas.  He will be four years old on his birthday, and has just started school.

I posted it before, but I think this is the finished version (I hope).  This is in my largest Moleskine, and I wanted to share it with you.

I have mailed Aya's book to Mike (yesterday--9/15).

Mary in Aya's: "I dream someone is drawing cards that will determine not only my dreams, but also my future"

"I dream someone is drawing cards that will determine not only my dreams, but also my future"
by Mary Stebbins Taitt
water color, pen and ink

This is my last piece in Aya's Mole this round.  (I really had this dream!) Yet to do is one or more pocket items and the envelope.  I was going to start the envelope NOW, but the top is stuck on the gesso and I can't get it off.

We have NO power at home, and slept at the studio last night.  The internet here is unbearably slow, and we don't have a smart phone, so I won't be online much until we get our power back at home.

As part of a dream yesterday morning, two small children were turning back and forth from kids to a snail and a slug and ricing through hot soapy water.  It was nerve-wracking to watch/dream!

Mary in Aya's: I Dream I need help securing a prisoner

I dream I need help securing a prisoner
by Mary Stebbins Taitt
in Aya's Moleskine

I got new pens and failed to test them for water-resistance--they SAID they were water-resistant but were not!  DUH!!!  I messed up--should have tested them.  They drew really nicely but bad when water added.  I do that intentionally sometimes, but in this case, did not want the ink to run.  I would have painted over the lettering but it would have been a disaster.

Collab for Mike

So, I have one more to do and I will mailing this off to Mike.  Sorry about the big delay with Ballookey's--I was having difficulties getting a good picture for my book.

Mary in Aya's--the Dream fish coming home

The runaway fish return to their tank
by Mary Stebbins Taitt
watercolor and pen and ink
5 x 8

I dream that the free-ranging fish must be back in their tank before dawn or they will die.

Mary in Aya's: I Dream the fish swim out of their aquariums at night

I Dream the fish swim out of their aquariums at night
by Mary Stebbins Taitt
in Aya's book

I did this tonight, September 2nd, but accidentally put the wrong date on.  This is a real dream I have.  Or, used to have repeatedly.  Haven't had it recently (I no longer have an aquarium; that may be why.

Also, I finally mailed Ballookey's mole to Mike.  Sorry it took so long, was having scanner and camera issues.

Andrea and Mary in Aya's: Breathing underwater

Breathing Under Water
collab Andrea and Mary
click to view larger

I have not mailed Ballookey's mole to Mike yet, because I have spent several days trying to get decent and usable scans or photographs, which I need for the book I am working on.  But last night, I did my first piece in Aya's mole, a collab with Andrea.

Painting the envelope or should I say drawing?

front of envelope
drawing with faber-pitt artist pigment pens
by Mary Stebbins Taitt
click images to view larger

back of envelope
drawing with faber-pitt artist pigment pens
by Mary Stebbins Taitt
click images to view larger

I'm getting there.