The Brooklyn Art Library Sketchbook Project

The current sketchbook project deadline is tomorrow and a new round is in the offing.   I've signed up for it.  Some of us are posting to a blog and I'd like to invite the rest of you, if you interested, to join us.  Let one of us know if you want to join and I or one of us will send an invite.

Moons in Gretchen's Book

I couldn't make up my mind how to approach one piece I wanted to do in Gretchen's book, so I decided not to decide and create the moon, three ways.

Title page - I wish I'd made the word "ways" a little more bold.

This astronaut was the first piece started, and the last one finished. I spray painted the background using vinyl I had left over from Mary's Round 2 book to create the purple pattern. Then I stalled on it until this weekend when I added the astronaut and finished painting it. I added the Finnish postage stamp at the bottom because I know Gretchen's family hails from Finland. By the way, Finland has THE COOLEST STAMPS. I enclosed the rest of the sheet in the book in case Andrea or anyone else wants to use one - or Gretchen can just have them. The art is so cute, and they're often die-cut in unusual shapes like these birds on branches. How cool would it be to get a letter with one of these on it?

I started this one with a copy of this vintage photo, then added all the engraved elements. The moon has a door, and if you look inside, you'll see the man in the moon. (It's Sherlock from the recent BBC TV series because that's what I've been watching recently - awesome, awesome show)

I created this pixellated moon from squares cut out of paint chips - it's kind of fun going to the hardware store and walking out with my craft supplies for free.

And continued the pixels onto the next page for Andrea to interact with.

Here's the collaboration I completed with Molly. She created the creature on the left, and I added the rest to tie it in with my theme.

In Andrea's pocket

Of course, the obvious choice would be to make a dream catcher, but since I already made one of those, I decided to build a diorama of one of the dreams. The big challenge was figuring out how I can build it in a way that I could take it apart and pack it in a flat package so it fits in the pocket.

I suddenly have a lot of respect for those IKEA engineers...

pages 7 and 8 on Andrea's Book

I've had a small medical procedure last Wednesday, and I'm starting to feel a little better now, but it's taking time (too much time in my mind) and so for the past couple of days, I could only really work (or do anything for that matter) for about an hour or two every day. I really really hate this...

Anyway, those hours were mostly spend on Andrea's book and little pocket item. I'm going to pack it and Steve's book tomorrow and take it to the postoffice on Monday.

Bottle neck

Ya, this time it's me...
I have 3 books at home now. Steve's book, which is all done, Andrea's which is 95% done and one more...
I'm really sorry guys, we had 2 deaths in the family and I had some health issues, which I think are basically over now (hopefully) I'm hoping to finish Andrea's book today and send 2 books to Molly tomorrow.

My work in Mary's book.

Mary's book ships on Monday.

Splotch Monster Collab with Steve Loya, round 2

Splotch Monster Collaboration with Steve Loya
in my returned Moleskine from Round 2

I forgot about finishing up my Round 2 Moleskine.  So here's the first of those.

Icky Fingers Collaboration for Ammon in Stephanie's

This is my last piece in Stephanie's book, so I will be sending it to Ammon as soon as I can get it together, hopefully tomorrow or Monday,  It is done in 005 Micron pen black.  The green bit on the mouth is from a dirty scanner, sorry.  Also a little splash of black gouache.

Icky Fingers
Micron Pen
1st half of a collaboration with Ammon

It's my husband, Biker Buddy (Keith), in case you don't recognize him, working on my son Graham's car.  However, Ammon could make it into something else and that would be OK.  I'll be interested to see what he does with it.

Collaboration with Gretchen in Stephanie's: Hen Turning Eggs

Turning the Eggs
Collaborations with Gretchen

Turning the Eggs, Collaboration by Gretchen Owen and Mary Stebbins Taitt
markers and pens.  Dedicated to Hennie Mavis.

In Stephanie's Pocket: Sequoia Park Zoo

Sequoia Park Zoo, Eureka, California
watercolor

This is a 6 x 9 watercolor on Canson paper for the Virtual Paintout from Eureka, California (last Month's Theme).  I am including the original in the pocket.

I also included two small prints of earlier Virtual Paintout pictures from Eureka California :

Andrea's pages 5 and 6

Andrea's book pages 3 and 4

Andrea's book

I actually haven't even send Mike's book to Molly yet. I know she had 2 books and didn't want to burden her with a third just yet... but last week I got Andrea's book and so now I probably will have to send molly 2 books rather then one.

I had the whole book planned in my head, but then I had a different idea and decided to go with that. I'm calling it "The book of reoccurring nightmares"

Page 4 in Stephanie's book: Under the Bridge at Silverthorne, Colorado

Under the rte 70 Bridge, Silverthorne, Colorado
gouache

This is the last in the series of Virtual Paintout pictures for this mole--the other two half-pictures will be different.

pages 2 and 3 in Stephanie's sketchbook: Aspen Colorado

Aspen, Colorado
the walking trail
gouache

Two more pages completed in a two-page spread.    This is another for the Virtual Paintout.  Aspen, Colorado.  I scanned the pages separately and didn't get the register quite right in the image.  Sorry.  It doesn't look like that in the book (in the center.)

Here is the google maps street view image I used to paint this from (for the Virtual Paintout).

Screen capture of street view used for painting above

Summit County Colorado Virtual Paintout, first one in Stephanie's

YAY!  WHOOOOPEE!  Hurrah!  Stephanie's Moleskine came in the mail this afternoon--thanks Gretchen-- and I did a quick sketch in it for the Virtual Paintout in Summit COunty Colorado.  I've tried three times and I've always screwed it up somehow, so I'm trying again a fourth time.  Felt-tip Markers, graphite.

Stephanie's

Happy New Year everyone! Hope you all enjoyed the holidays!

I finally shipped Stephanie's moleskine to Mary on Thursday! I've got Ellen's too, and I've already started! Determined to get back on track. I can't believe how fast the past couple of months have gone!

In Stephanie's:

Collab with Roma

Collab for Mary

In the pocket