So guess what...

Stuck at the airports again... flights been delayed by 4 hours! This sucks so bad - I have so much stuff I need to do in NY, now I'll be landing at 4:00 AM... well, at least I'm finishing on Willie's book now...

#2 in Ash's, for Collaboration with Mike: A Bird in the Hand

A Bird in the Hand, first half of a collaboration with Mike Kline in Ash's Mole. BB and I took a hike at Dodge park and at the far end, farther than we'd ever been before, we found this dead robin in some branches that looked like a skeletal hand so that's what I made it into. This is in the front of the Mole, as there aren't enough pages for everyone otherwise.

I did it in ballpoint pen and gouache. Click image to view larger.

prints - woohoo!

Hey guys! So, I decided to get some prints made of some pages from this Moleskine exchange (Ash's book), as well as from some in Aya's. Yesterday I got four from a company called Artscow. My wife told me about a deal they had recently, so I thought I'd give it a go and see what they were all about. My expectations were low-to-average, however, I'm happy to say the results were far from it! The quality of paper, the crisp image, the vivid color - I was even more pleased than with Imagekind, which says a lot. Anyhow, I will be putting these all up for sale at my Etsy shop this week. The giant tortoise is the first to go up! The prints are all 14" x 11" and will be in a limited run of twenty, signed and numbered by yours truly. Twenty-five bucks per print is a fair enough price, considering the cost of getting them made, mailing them, as well as the time and labor involved. So, stay tuned for more this week. I'll definitely be selling more prints of this kind very soon as well. Anyway, hope you like 'em (and sorry for the shameless self-prommotion).

Working on Willie's book

I'm having an awesome time in L.A meeting the coolest people and seeing the most amazing things!

Somehow Ned and I got invited to see a really stunning book collection owned by the sweetest couple. We asked them if we can come again to shoot it, and they agreed so we did!

As it turned they sit in a museum board, and needed a portrait of themselves, for the museum magazine, and so we shot them, as it turned out, they needed the photos right away, and so instead of going to a museum today, Ned was working on the photos, while I finally competed my spread in Willie's book.

If I'm lucky and not feeling sick on the plane on the way back, I might be done by the time I get to NY.

Fat Cat in Andrea's Moley

This piece started out on one side of the Moley then became the collaborative piece for Steve also. I got a little carried away with mediums and textures...I used watercolor pencils, coloured pencils, glitter glaze and acrylic dimensional writers.

These two are "Dichroic Glass," and "Dichroic Glass II." I have a fascination for fused-glass or, dichroic glass art. A friend of mine makes beautiful pieces. I could never capture the true colours in pen and ink...but it was fun trying.

Andrea's Moleskine

Collaborative piece with Anders. I have been intrigued by Ander's style of art...when this pen and ink came I had the perfect opportunity to do a more realist background; however, I chose to work with his style. I am very proud of how it came out.
I used acrylic paint and Prismacolour pencils.

Willie's book on the way to LA

My flight's delayed by at least 30 minutes, we are sitting at the gate  waiting for news. I've only had about 2 and a half hours sleep at night and I'm super cranky. There are a million babies around (well maybe not a million) I decided to take the book out hoping that the moment I start drawing my flight will be boarding...

Mourning Doves, first in Ash's, Collaboration with Steve

Okay, here's my first piece in Ash's Mole, it's a collaboration with Steve. He painted the background and I drew and painted the doves. My goal was to change Steve's background as little as possible while bringing forth the doves. I wanted some of the original color and texture to show through and at the same time, have some of the dove color visible. I also wanted my piece to harmonize with his across from mine, and at the same time, be mine (my style).

I used ink and gouache. Gouache watered down. The top image is as it came from the scanner and the bottom image is as it came from the camera. Go figure.

The images will enlarge if you click on them. (And yes, that is our house behind K.)

In the nick of time

I'm traveling to LA tomorrow for an exhibition and celebration for a photography award me and Ned, my husband, just won!I was really hoping to start working on the next book before I go. Then today, it made it here! not only I'm so happy it wouldn't have to wait for me in the mail room for a week, but, even more cool, it's a small 5X8 book, which means that I'll be able to take it with me and get to work on Willie's book on the plane and on my trip.

Beautiful work everyone! I love how different each person's style is!

First one in Mary's book

Three Pocket Items for Ash

Nothing I put in anyone's pocket will EVER compare with the boobies Hennie put in Willie's pocket, so I guess a few prints of my current artwork will have to suffice. I have made 4 x 6 prints of these three recent pieces for Ash's pocket.

They are:

1)Magnolias. This is created in my practice watercolor Moleskine, which is a 5 x 8 Moleskine. I colored the page orange with an orange permanent marker (Sharpie)[which by the way, I received as a gift from Andrea, thank you Andrea], and then sketched the vase and magnolias with a Crayola water-soluble marker (the one I've been using for water-brushed sketches), and then painted it with gouache. It was an experiment. As I expected, the marker blended with the gouache to darken the edges of the petals, branches and vase. My first attempt at this technique.

2)a from-life sketch of BB in the cover-leaf of the same sketchbook, done with ball-point and gouache. I think it's the best sketch I've ever made of BB in that it looks more like him (which is my goal, to learn to do likenesses) than any other I've ever done. At some point, I may try to make this into an art piece without the centerfold, but I do not have time right now. I did it when we were eating out at the Coney, and he was holding a beer, but I didn't finish it before it was time to go.

3)Tulips at the Village Market 100328--a digital smudge painting sketch which is a practice for what I hope to do over maybe in water-soluble oils, big.

Inquiring minds want to know, so here is the totally unadulterated version of my sketch of BB (K).



The paint beaded up a little on the coated surface, making it look like he had the pox. This does not happen on watercolor paper.

Old Candy Collab with Ash

Almost forgot, here's my art to accompany Ash's collab page text about old, stale candy. I really do have candy canes leftover from Christmas. And I will probably still eat them, but not straight up. They will be crushed & baked into brownies. Mmm, mint-chocolate brownies, yum! Great way to refurb old peppermint candy :-)

Spotted Salamanders & Abstract Comic?

I'm on a spotted salamander binge because of spring. And because I might get a spotted salamander tattoo. And because they are nifty little creatures. The top two images are simple watercolors with white Prismacolor detail. There's another one on the envelope I just sent Aya & here's one I drew in ballpoint on my foot.

The painting at bottom is an attempt at an "abstract comic." I say 'attempt' because I have a question for Anders... or any of you, really. Because of salamander-on-brain right now, I chose salamander colors & "spots" for my abstract comic... but if I have obvious inspiration like this, does it means my art is not abstract? Do I need to be thinking about absolutely nothing when I do an abstract comic? If so, I might be in trouble. I am really bad at thinking about nothing. I'm curious to hear some feedback on this topic.

Boobies Biz Card for Willie's Pocket

Kinda went out on a limb here, so brace yourselves, folks...

I made Willie this very special business card because I suspect from some of his prior drawings that he may have a fondness for boobies in art (giggle)! I did not add my name/tel./contact info., as I knew I would be posting this photo to a public site & I don't need any naughty callers, thank you. But I confess, I was amused while making this. The peekaboo brassiere is made of frosted mylar with Prismacolor penciled "lace," and the cut-out boobies are removable for added fun. Willie can take them out & stick them to his sunglasses, then stuff the bra with Kleenex? HA!

Getting Silly with Willie

I was trying to be a little more playful in Willie's book. I notice in his art, he will often combine some clever or humorous text with his sketching... so I tried it, to honor his process. Fun! Inspiration for the top one: I really did over-squeeze a clogged bottle of glue. What happened was not fun.

Help?

I have been trying for 2 days now to upload photos to this Blogger site, with no luck. I was able to upload to Flickr & my WordPress blog, no problem. Does anyone know if something has changed re: photo uploads here? Annoying. I am sure I am doing everything just as I always do...

Skeleton Lino Cut

What Were You Doing When You Should Have Been Driving?

Collaboration Piece