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.

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).

Round 4, First Pocket

I have two pocket items for the first mole that comes my way.  The first one you've seen as a photo, but it's dry enough now to scan--It's the wandering minstrel, the Mandolin player, done in water soluble oils.

The Wandering Minstrel, The Mandolin Player
by Mary Stebbins Taitt
Water-soluble oils
for the first round 4 pocket.
size: I cut this exactly to fit the Mole pocket, hopefully.

The second pocket item is for fun.  It is a bit weird and silly.  I was playing with oil pastels.  My question was, how would they work on dark paper.  I actually went to the store and bought the paper just to experiment--I've got my teeth into exploring oil pastels at the moment.  I like them because they are bright and don't stink (like the fixative for soft pastels, chalk pastels.)  I had in mind sort making a mandala from a poppy.  When I was nearly finished, I tried to sand off on of the bumps that had formed and the layers of varnish and oil pastel delaminated.  This is something I'd been afraid of and had a series of other tests and had not managed to delaminate any of the tests--nut this one did.  The peeled off pieces felt like flower petals so, for fun, I glued them on.

Poppy Mandala with Torn Petal
First Round 4 Pocket item
Mary Stebbins Taitt
oil pastels and acrylic varnish
Click to view larger.
8.5 x 11

 The next painting (drawing?) is another in my series of tests of oil pastels and acrylic varnish.  It's on one of my practice sketchbooks, an old one, painted (drawn?) over an old failed painting.  One thing oil pastels, I have not yet learned how to do detail.  Nor can I do it with a palette (painting) knife, as seen above.)  The oil pastels tend to shed little lumps of pastel material which then builds up with successive layers to make "pimples."  These pimples are weak spots from which delamination can begin.  I have no idea about the long-term survival of these pieces, but I think they will not delaminate in the short term, as they did in the poppy mandala above, unless they are subjected to undue stress, eg, sanding.

Ami, age 13
Mary Stebbins Taitt
oil pastels, acrylics and acrylic varnish
in multimedia sketchbook
9 x 12 (part is missing on right, as my scanner is smaller than the paper)

I am not sure how much longer I will continue experimenting with this media or whether I will use it in any serious art.  I will not use it in anyone's sketchbook (Mole) in the exchange unless someone gives me the go-ahead, since the archival nature of the medium is unknown (to me) at this time.  For some reason, I seem to be taken by the medium at the moment.  Trying to ascertain its possibilities.

Traveling Minstrel, Round 4 Experiment

I decided to try an experiment.  I am painting an oil pointing with water soluble oils for the first Round 4 pocket that I get.  The time for someone to prepare and mail their moleskine and then for me to have time as well should allow the painting to dry.

While experimenting, I decided to use only a palette (painting) knife.  So there are several factors that are fairly new for me--including the water soluble oils and the palette knife.  The painting is done on watercolor paper treated with two layers of gesso.

Click on images to view larger.  I'm including my process, not that I know what I'm doing.

sketch

added darks in india ink

Blocking in some of the color with pig markers

adding the water soluble oils part 1

adding the water soluble oils part 2

This is not finished yet, but it needs to dry a little before I attempt to add more detail.  I have a glassine to put it in to protect it in the pocket and to protect other things from it.

adding some details

Still not done--one thing I added was eyelashes, hard to do (for me) with a palette knife I mean painting knife.   Still needs more work.

Round 4 HURRAH!!!!

For the pocket of the first Round 4 Moleskine that comes my way, I have created two mandalas and a set of mini mandalas.  I am so excited for another round of the Moleskine Exchange.  YAY!

I am waiting to post a movie of the Round 3 Moleskine until I finish it. There were a lot of blank pages.