Round 2; outside back cover

I wanted to complete my Moleskines BEFORE I took a video of the finished Moleskine.  I'd intended all along to make a painting on the back of my Round 2 Moleskine, so I did that tonight and the book is now, finally complete.  I will attempt to make a video of it at my earliest convenience, BUT I am still working on the Fellowship application.

This is a self portrait.  I painted it from a photo my husband took of me at a restaurant in Slovenia.

I took some pictures of the steps, but I will post the scan first.  Acrylic on Gessoed Moleskine cover.

Click images to view larger.

"final" (maybe--I always like to fiddle)

(Step 2) Blocking in with pig markers
I forgot to photograph the pencil sketch

(Step 3) Underpainting
(first coat)

adding detail

One for Ballookey's pocket round 3 and one for Hennie round 2

I finally got another set of the Sakura Gelly Roll Pens I ordered a while back, and since they were new to me, I was eager to try them, but since I don't have a mole, I decided to make cards. These are cards with envelopes, Strathmore Drawing cards, my first time trying them, too.

The Chrysanthemums will be for Ballookey's pocket--I think it is Ballookey's book I get next, and the mandala, which is called, "What if all of Creation were in the hands of an unsteady Goddess?" is for Hennie Mavis. The shown colors aren't quite right. Close, but no cigar.

Round 2 returns

We're on our way out the door for a trip, and my round 2 mole is here. no time to talk, but it looks delicious More later.

Small Meditation on the Effects of Melancholia

This is the FINAL piece in Mike's Round II Moles which will be headed to Mike perhaps as early as tomorrow and if not, as soon as possible. It is done in Faber-Castell PITT pigment artist pens. Click image to view larger.

Two small meditations in Mike's Round 2

Mike, I tried to do what you said you did, which was free-drawing, starting out with no idea and seeing where it takes you. You are much better at it than I am, I think do better if I at least plan a little. The lower one was a free-drawing and the upper one, which I did second, was inspired by the first (lower). These are both done with Faber-Castell PITT artist pigment pens. I may try more of these in your book, but since I'm experimenting, no guarantees on the results! YIKES! Scary! (As usual, click images to view somewhat larger.)

More Pix from Mike's Round 2 Mole

Once again, I apologize for the poor photo quality. :-(

These are mostly "details." Click to view larger.

Steve Loya's Pix from Round 2 in Mike's Mole

I'm having a little problem with the scanner, so I took with the camera. Later, I may repost some of them as scanned by the scanner if they come out better. (Or maybe he will post them?) Cool Splotch monsters, Steve! :-D They are much better in person than my sad copies.

Also, I am not sure I got the monsters all oriented correctly, so apologies Steve.

You can click on each one to see it larger.

Blood from a Stone, pocket items

The first one is a sort of continued collaboration with Steve Loya. I loved his splotch monster so much, that is, my version of it, posted here, that I made a second one with the Virginia character on the top, turned the other way. I gave her a whip and a flower. The painting is water color and unfortunately, I made it way too big to fit in a pocket, so I made two small prints, one for Mike, and one for Roma.

The second one is for mike, for his pocket, in his round 2 mole.

I have two moles at my house now, Roma's round 3 and Mike's from round 2. I am currently working on a piece in Roma's which I had hoped to finish last night but was thwarted by my own slowness. Click images to view larger.

An Andrea & Ash Collab (from Aya's Book)

This is too good not to share... and I needed a "test project" to learn some things on my new laptop, so... here's a spread from Aya's Round 2 book, which I have now. Andrea gave Ash a segment of a photo (the shirt). Ash drew the amphibious guy wearing it. Fun, huh?

I'm using this pic to test my "new laptop learning curve." With this blogpost, I have demonstrated my ability to:

1.) successfully download pics to laptop from my old Sony Mavica (didn't try the new Sony Cybershot yet);

2.) manipulate them mildly in HP MediaSmart (yeah, it's no Adobe Photoshop, but for blogging away from my office/iMac, it works just fine); and

3.) actually locate the photo file(s) on demand, HA!

Ain't life grand? I am beginning to realize it may be alright that I didn't enlist for Round 3, as I thought I was almost done with Round 2. Just Aya's book here with me now & Anders' book, which hasn't arrived yet. But I discovered yesterday that I may also have Steve's book to do! I don't think it has come thru me yet. I think it got out of shipping order somehow too, like Anders' book? Aya's book should have been the last book to come to me, yet it's here now. I'm not sure who I have left to do, to be honest. I will have to go back to my photo files & count. I guess I am still in the exchange after all!

Round 2: Mole 5-6: The Overlook Tree

The Overlook Tree, by Mary Stebbins Taitt. Scanned and photographed versions of my next one/two mole(s)(5,6) with Biker Buddy acting as photographer's assistant. Done in Michelle's Mole with pencil, ink, gouache, and crayola crayons, lol! I really had fun with this. :-D

Mole 3 & 4 in Michelle's Moleskine

I guess the Biker Buddy Sketch was Moles one and 2 and This one must be moles three and 4. It's my attempt at a Chinese brush painting of Sparrow and plum blossoms somewhat after Lucy Wang. I am not used to the Chinese (bamboo) brushes. I did this with bamboo brushes and gouache and water color. This mean the excitement of receiving Michelle's super Mole carried me halfway through my sketches, I guess, all on day ONE of the new month.


Dunno if I mentioned about the lettering. I did a bad job on it. If you don't do it just right, it means something else and I can't remember if I mentioned earlier what I am TRYING to write which is: "Return to Serenity."


Just learned how to pronounce gouache--You all probably know, but it was new to me. GWASH.