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

Giants in the Land

Eight Ball and Flowers

Ballookey Here They Come!

Abstract Comic by Andrea

Undulate: How Will It End ~ 3/25/2010


This is my first attempt at an abstract comic.
Would love to hear Anders' opinions on this one,
since the inspiration was a book he is featured in.

Give me some feedback and a serious critique pals.

Collab Pages

These are my two collab pages in Mike's book.

Willie didn't leave a half of a collab page in the beginning, so I put that red & black thing on a page and Mike will get to collab with me whenever he gets his book back. =)

Then Ash should have an interesting time collaborating with my whale bone photos. Can anyone say HIGH CONTRAST and OFF CENTER?!?

The book goes in the mail tomorrow Ash, sorry for the delay. Doh!

steve's work in ash's book

Finally, I finished working in Ash's book! Spring is a busy busy time at work/school, so it was good to find some time here and there to add to these drawings (sometimes working in the book while my students were working on their art, which doesn't always work out!). I based my animal drawings on some photos I took where I live in Leesburg, Virginia. I used watered down acrylics and Pigma Micron pens for those four. The bottom one was a fun little collab done with Ellen. Anyhow, this sucker goes in the mail tomorrow to you Mary. So sorry for the delay!

From the Providence of Dreams, for Ash's pocket (I Think)

I don't have a Moleskine right now. So I decided to make a fractal for the next person, whom I think is Ash. But I got carried away and made it into something else--a digitally manipulated fractal art-piece, I guess. I printed a small print of it for Ash's pocket. Click image to view larger. I made the original fractal from which this came using Xaos, a free fractal download for macs.

And here's another for Ash's pocket:



It is a print of a drawing I made in one of my earlier Moleskine Exchange books--the last picture to be completed in that book--from the Jim Doran Exchange. It is a series of experiments combining media: colored pencil, pigment markers and gouache. Click image to view larger.

Avery small book

Took a look back in the group's blog and realized that the last time I posted anything art related here, was a little over 2 months ago! still waiting for the next book to arrive.

So, I decided to share something non moleskin related, which is a tiny coloring book I made as a giveaway for my Etsy store. I will probably include one of those in the pocket of the next book that comes my way.

Raindrops, Spider, and Lemons

Whew! I've been so busy at work, I just come home and drop to sleep. In the middle of the IT Crowd and everything! But I finally had a chance to see which of my photos were focused (hardly any) and post them.

I have a sort of an idea brewing, but none of these represent the whole idea. These are various stages of the idea, and variations it went through. In the end, I thought featuring the parts would make an interesting series. These are very inspired by the spring weather around these parts.






(In the lemon tree? Why would I do that?)

hey, does this belong to anyone?

http://www.wikihow.com/Live-With-a-Perfectionist

purely by chance.... small world.

(A. Perfectionist)

Horrendous Serendipitous Wrapping Paper

I'll post the rest of my work in Anders' book later, but for now here's the collaboration with Mike. The right hand side of the page is some wrapping paper I found when cleaning out my aunt's closet last weekend. It is either the ugliest thing I've ever found or the most charming, and I can't decide which. It's supposed to be for baby showers and I thought these pregnant ladies went well opposite Mike's dead folks. Also I loved that one of Mike's skeletons was singing in the rain, and these pregnant girls are twirling around in the rain too with their oversized parasols.

Inside the central character, I created a scene with Charon using colors from the wrapping paper to tie the world of the living to the dead. I didn't quite want to leave it that simple because, really, I still haven't decided about that wrapping paper. I had an old receipt book, also belonging to my aunt, and so I stamped one of the receipts with a lino-cut skull so that Charon could prove he had delivered a soul to the afterlife - must keep good records! I added a few more things, but I'm not sure if it's done yet. I'm putting a sticky on this page because if anyone else wants to add something, I think that would be great.

1 From Mike's Book

Spiralling Red Right Eye

Stop me if you've heard this before....

Thinking of the book idea, and the (probably forgotten) moleskiner's request for a video-slideshow, I came across this wonderful project from last year: 500 postcard-sized pieces by 500 artists worldwide on the subject of the book about death. I thought I'd post a link for yous. It rattles through a bit quick for me - if you've a talent for gaming, you might be quick enough on the pause button. Unfortunately, my gaming days are behind me. I have to rely purely on subliminal osmosis.

I found out the exhibition is coming to Wales, which is about 3 hours from here. I'm wondering if I can get across to see it. Might be fun.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E7nOFqIsSQ0&feature=player_embedded##



I'm still thinking about doing a video of my book...

Twofer Sketchbooks, YAY!

Canadian Post came thru today with a pouch containing both Milo's & Willie's books. Wheee, double the fun! Willie's pocket says I'm to withdraw a business card. They're all pretty, but I've narrowed down to my 2 favs. Decisions, decisions...

That's the good news. The bad news is that I'm only 10 days from March 15th (next deadline) and I am plowed under preparing to work a gift show all next week. Aya, I will sketch in my booth between buyers & back at the hotel, but... 10 days might not be enough time, especially the 10 days now before me. With any luck, I won't overshoot the 15th by much.

Of course, I kinda hope my booth is so busy with buyers that I have NO time to sketch? CHA-ching! :-)

Epically Overdue Post

Hey Everyone,

Posted this last night but it then magically disappeared today. Pretty sure there are gremlins in the interweb. Hopefully it works this time.

Here are a few images from the last two books. Sorry I haven’t posted in a while.

Yeti High 5 – The two hands high five each other when you close the book






















List of stuff found on the ground by my place in the past two months. There’s always something random and weird.





















Random shit as zombies –first half of a collabo piece.










Collabo piece with Andrea

Last 1 1/2 pieces in Hennie's Mole: Living Statues

I have finished with Hennie's mole and since I already put tons of stuff in her pocket while waiting for it to arrive, I will be sending it on to Mike.

I have been fascinated with the living statues at the Renaissance Faire. I've taken lots of pictures of them (and slipped one into Hennie's Mole.) I decided to try to paint two of them, but ended up drawing one with Faber-Castell PITT artist brush pens (pigment markers) and then painting over the white parts with white gouache. I could take some lessons from Anders on making good folds!!! I did the other in ball point pen because it is for Mike to finish and he often likes to work in ball point pen. I left the column out on that one because I wanted to give him maximum creative control on subject, materials, space etc. When I was all done, I decided that the living statues are a better subject for photography than art, because the pure whiteness of them doesn't seem as striking in the art pieces as it does in the photos--too late--they're already done. Click images to view larger.