Andrea in Ballookey's book ... In ~ 2/27/14

Here's my first go at Ballookey's book, I have had it forever.  Ack!  Sorry for the delay Mary, I will keep at it and get it mailed to you soon.  

In Mike's pocket

Again one of those ideas that in the beginning I think "This is something fun to do this afternoon" and a week later after not doing anything else and totally neglecting my responsibilities, it's done.

I decided to extend the "imaginary tarot cards" project to a 24 cards deck. I just send them to a printer for the first 25 decks, but this is the first prototype deck and it's going in Steve's pocket.

Mike's book pages 5-6

This seemed like such a simple easy idea - imaginary tarot cards. Somehow, it took 3 days of almost just drawing and painting. The images became more and more intricate and eventually, the pages in the non watercolor book started to disintegrate, so I stopped.

Mike's book page 4

pages 2-3 in Steve's

Finally done with a really crazy deadline, and can get back to the important things in life, and so I got to draw most of the day today! yay! I really really missed it.

the theme for Steve's book is cards, though I'm not quite sure where I'm going with this one yet.

Steve's book's finally here!

I feel like I haven't had a book in forever... I'm not sure if it's even true, cause I've been super busy since the holidays and that makes time stretch. But it feels like months and months. I was so in need of some sort of a creative project, I started a 30 days drawing challenge, which already took me more then 30 days, but I got to try some new fun stuff and get better at drawing on my phone. It's been really fun, and I highly recommend it.

But now... for Steve's book. 

I'm not quite sure if this is what Steve meant, if I made a big mess of the book, then so sorry. The last page, the one that's usually half full was all full, but right before it, there were 4 pages with drawings that I wasn't sure if they were finished or not. So, not quite sure what to do, I picked one of those and went from there. 

I jut finished my half page.

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
Click image to view larger

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
click image to view larger

This is my collaboration for Mike, half a black widow spider.

"Fauvism" Envelope

Envelope to mail Andrea's Mole to Mike
Faux Fauvism?
Click image to view larger.

Passages: Collaboration with Andrea

Passages
Collaboration with Andrea
faber-Castelle India Ink pen, water color

A bit closer
click on these to view larger

Wolf envelope revisited
(Played with it a little)

My collaboration and first page in Andrea's, 4th round, 2nd pass.  Plus the back of the envelope to mail to Mike, when I finish my set.  (I think the spots on the first two are sensor spots from my husband's camera, as my scanner isn't working.)

Arrove: Andrea's, 2nd pass of Round 4

Wolf Dusk
envelope

Andrea's mole arrived and Keith and I really enjoyed checking out all the art "in the flesh."  Glorious stuff!  YAY!

I painted the back of the envelope, using handmade acrylics that I made from pigments my daughter brought from France.  I may fiddle with it slightly before I send it.  I have not yet started on the actual mole--I'm feeling a little daunted!

My work in my book.

Collab with Ballookey.

Here are some little snippets of what I have been up to in my own book.

I did not do very well about posting from the first pass.

I vow to do better with the second pass.

I'll be mailing this to Mary either tomorrow if I can get to the post office, or Friday.

Happy new year to you all!

Please don't hesitate to reach out of you need anything from me.

Back Cover and Envelope Side 1 Round Four, second Pass

"Final" back Cover Round 4
Mary and Keith Self-portrait

I may fiddle with this a little more before I mail or after it comes back, but I'm probably quitting for now so it can be on the road asap.Painted nearly entirely with homemade paints with French pigments.

Keith as Santa
on envelope

I started this before Christmas, but of course, now it is a little out of date.

I am almost ready to mail.  Soon.

front of envelope
playing with French earth pigments
and handmade acrylic paints

So I mailed on 1-13-14.  The envelope is kind of weird.  I was mixing acrylics on the spot with pigments and slapping them on.  They work better if they sit around a while first, they get creamier.

Still Working on my own Mole: Back cover

I am working on a painting for the back cover of my Moleskine.  I figured it would be nice to finish it before I sent it off, but it is slow.  I am making my own acrylic paints with pigments from France my daughter brought me from her visit there.

First coat of paint:

Self-portrait with Keith
handmade acrylics
after one coat of paint
(not yet finished.)
Click this and all images to view larger

Second coat of paint:

Self-portrait with Keith
handmade acrylics
after two coats of paint
(not yet finished.)

Working at the dining room table:

We had more than a foot of snow and it was 11 below zero--I couldn't get to my "studio."  It's a little crowded and cluttered.  (Okay, it;s a LOT crowded and cluttered.)  The little vials are the dry pigments from France.

The photograph I am copying was taken December 28, 2013 by Harry Teichert at the Edsel and Eleanor Ford House.  I hope to finish it soon and mail it off.