Mary in Ballookey: Frankie putting Noah away for the night.

Frankie putting Noah and the animals of the ark away for the night
click image to view larger.

I've been working on this painting and also on cleaning up one of my earlier ones where the blue paint from the sky got on the yellow wings.

Biker Buddy in Balookey's Pocket

Keith with Potato Chips
I made this on my new Surface Pro in Artrage

Keith with Potato Chips
Then I printed it, and painted over almost the entire thing with acrylics
click images to view larger.

Keith with potatoes chips, "final?"

I guess it's had to see the changes in the final version, it should have bothered posting them all. (I may not actually be done yet.  I changed the smile, the eyes, the arm, the hands.  But it's fairly subtle.  Hmm, I liked parts of the earlier versions better--I may not be done yet.

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.

Worst Nightmares, Collaboration Andrea and Mary

"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.

Two new pieces in Round 2 and some experiments

I decided to experiment with oil pastels BECAUSE I had made two oil pastel images in my round 3 Moleskine.  I read that there were actually several fixatives and varnishes that could be used on the oil pastels and decided to try for myself.

First I made a light oil pastel picture just as an experiment on pastel paper and coated with with acrylic varnish.  It seemed to work well.

test 1

Then I did one with a number of layers of oil pastels, acrylics and varnish.  This also seemed to work well.  It's supposed to be a self-portrait, but it's unsuccessful in that regard.  I started with a painting I'd made of someone else and tried to make it into me.  It's not in a Moleskine, but in another sketchbook.

Self-portrait of the arist as an aging insomniac

This next one is all oil pastels and varnish over a failed acrylic painting which is entirely covered by the oil pastels.  The texture is quite rough from multiple layers of oil pastels and varnish.

Nan's House in Maine

After 3 trials which SEEMED to work very well--I don't know how well the will LAST THOUGH--I painted some acrylic varnish over the two oil pastels I had done in my round 3 mole (The pink elephant and the rowboat in the mountains.

THEN, I did a mixed media piece in my round 2 Moleskine.  This was on a page Anders skipped because of bleed-through from Markers.  I put on two layers of acrylic gesso and then drew a monochrome picture with pigment markers (pens) and then colored it with water colors and oil pastels and varnished it.

Red-shouldered Hawk
Round 2 Moleskine
click image to view larger

I would not have attempted using oil pastels again in a Moleskine if I had not done the previous tests.

Then, I did the final piece in the round 2 Moleskine, which is a collaboration with Milo called fish for Milo--it's pencil and colored pencil.

Fish for Milo
pencil and colored pencil
collaboration
Milo drew the curlies at the top and bottom

So Now the Round 2 Moleskine is totally finished and soon I will have a movie of it (a slideshow, probably.)

I forget whose book I'm on!

Collab w/ Ammon - he built the house, I painted it.
I made a mess. The red paint went everywhere, pages stuck together, dogs & cats living together, it was chaos. Then it ended up like this. :o)
My Moleskine Dreamcatcher
Backside of the Spiderweb. This page was also a mess which I repainted black.
Seeing through the dream to the moon...
The moon! Collage piece made by painting a piece of paper through the dreamcatcher.  
And a green moon for Ellen to play with. Been so busy this last two weeks... moved into a real genuine private art studio! Yaaay! I have a table to work on! No more kitchen floor!

PS - This is Balookey's Book!