Kissed Frankie goodnight/Mole arrove

"and then all the animals kissed Frankie goodnight"
click to view larger
painting by me, Mary Taiit, watercolor

I just received Aya's Moleskine from Andrea and am ashamed to admit I have not sent Ballookey's to Mike.  I had out of town company and we were extremely busy going to the zoo etc.  Now they have left and I will try to make it a priority to get that mailed.  The above painting is in one of my own moles which I painted after I finished Ballookey's mole, but before I mailed her mole.  The thing that is holding me up is the card that I made for her and then gave away!  (My mother-in-law saw it and asked for it!)  That is the next thing I will do, hopefully, after breakfast!  I am running late with breakfast trying to catch up with things I didn't get done while company was here.  (I do painting a the dining room table after dinner, while Keith is having wine, but the card is a different kind project the requires a different location and tools.)

in Aya's Moleskine: Mary's Nightmares

Nightmare:  The Lion
Click images to view larger

Mandala in Earth Tones

Half a husband
1st half of a collab for Mike of Biker Buddy

We have out-of-town company and I am sick.  When they are sitting around talking and drinking, I keep them company in my nightgown doing art.  I have completed my work in Aya's Moleskine, and will send it on to Mike.  Soon, will let you know when I do.  Obviously NOT today, since it is Sunday.  Also, I'm so sick it's hard to get to the PO.  I already made 2 too-big pocket items, so I may something smaller.

MIKE, feel free to darken and thicken the lines and make it more graphic.

In the nightmare, which woke me up in literal terror, I was at the coliseum watching the lions about to eat the Christians when one of the lions spotted me in the stands, bounded over the wall and up over the seats toward me.  He was coming for ME.

The mandala was done primarily with pens given to me by Hennie Mavis (Heidi).

In Aya's: Nightmare: When you get him home, he's not what he seemed

Nightmare:  When you get him home,
he's not what he seemed
(Glass eye, wig, wooden leg and silver nose.
Click image to view larger
Faber-PITT pigment pens
+watercolor

I started working in pigment markers, because we have company and I didn't want to get out the watercolors, water, brushes, palette, etc.  They went out, and I switched water color--I have to say, I like water color so much better.

For Aya's Pocket: Goat rowed his boat With his friend Stoat

Goat rowed his boat

With his friend Stoat watercolor, arches 140 lb cold-pressed paper 7 x 10

"Goat rowed his boat

With his friend Stoat" San Cassimally, painting by me, for Aya's pocket.

I painted the boat and the stoat (weasel) with a small koi waterbrush and koi paints from my field kit, because we have company coming and I didn't want to make a big mess, then I got everything out anyway and painted the rest with Windsor Newton paints and one BIG round brush.

I'm hoping to make a kids' book for my grandson.

Baboon Loon and Racoon Dropped in a Balloon, Pocket item for Ballookey

Baboon Loon and Racoon

Dropped in a balloon

I made a second water color for Ballookey's pocket on 7 x 10 Arches 140 lb paper, another illo of San Cassimally's Animal Carnival.  This completes my work in and for this mole, so I will be packaging it up and sending it off to Mike soon. I did this one with the water brush again, but I will probably switch back to regular brushes.  Except for en pleine air work, or for certain things they're good for.  Fine detail work, for one thing. (The Koi brush is really good for detail.)

Aardvark, Shark, Lark, Ark, Dark: Pocket item for Ballookey

Aardvark with Shark and Lark

Sailed in their ark (in the dark)

This is a pocket item for Ballookey.  It's watercolor on 140 lb cold-pressed Arches paper, 7 x 10.  It was entirely painted with the water brushes that you fill with water.  I got two new ones and wanted to try them out.  One is a fine point Koi that came with a field set, which I'd never used, so I used it last night and in the wee hours this morning when I couldn't sleep.  The other is a Niji flat.  I painted most of the painting with Niji and then added the detail with the Koi brush.

This is theoretically for the series I am doing of San Cassimally's book, Animal Carnival.  However, as you can plainly see, it is in a different medium and different style than the others, so I will probably redo it?  (Or redo the others?)  I just really wanted to play with watercolors.

Last one in this cycle of Round 4 in Andrea's: Moray Eel

Moray Eel
mixed media
by me, Mary Stebbins Taitt
first half of a collaboration with Mike Kline
please click image to view larger

Normally, When I am doing a collaboration with Mike, first half, I like to work in somewhat graphic black and white to make it easier for him to collaborate with me.  However, I had just received new acrylics from my kids for Mother's Day (HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!) and wanted to play with them.  You know, kids with new toys?

This is a two page spread.  The first 1/4 of the spread (half a page) is with the new acrylics. The second quarter (1/2-page) is with a combination of watercolor, gouache and acrylics.  Then, 1/8 spread (1/4 page in black watercolor, followed by Faber-Castelle pigment pens.  The purpose of all that was to hopefully create something to which Mike could easily attach his work.  (I hope).

Mike, please feel free to change any part of this piece, add to it, darken it, whatever, to make it work with your style.  This could be one long eel, an eel coming out of a hole, two eels entwined, an eel being scooped up by a new, or any number of things--so I hope you enjoy it, Mike.

This completes my work in Andrea's mole.  I have to gather up the pocket items, which I have already posted quite some time ago, and pack up the mole, but since it is Sunday, I cannot mail it.  Mike, it should be on its way to you within a few days.

Worst Nightmares, Collaboration Andrea and Mary

"When Confronted with our Worst Nightmares
I like to fight back with Flowers"
Collaboration Andrea and Mary
mixed media
water color, acrylic, pigment pens, colored pencil
click image to view larger

I wanted to do the girl (standing in for my child-self) in water color, but ended up coloring the background with black Faber-Castell pigment marker (A gift from Hennie Mavis) and then painting over that with glazes of blue acrylic.  I drew the flowers on the girl's pajamas with colored pencil and then painted them in with watercolor.

I have a lot of dreams of being chased down dark alleys by men who intend me harm.  They are nightmares, because I wake up terrified.  Not sure if that's what Andrea meant.

Click on the image to see it much larger.

I am still sick and my work is going slowly.

Round 4 HURRAH!!!!

For the pocket of the first Round 4 Moleskine that comes my way, I have created two mandalas and a set of mini mandalas.  I am so excited for another round of the Moleskine Exchange.  YAY!

I am waiting to post a movie of the Round 3 Moleskine until I finish it. There were a lot of blank pages.

Mary in Molly's (more)

pocket item:  BB
graphite and water-soluble graphite

Dana revisited
Water color, graphite and water-soluble graphite

Rheta
Graphite and water-soluble graphite

Heidi and Mary
with Mole-work

I know everyone is dying for a picture of Biker Buddy, so I made one for Molly as a pocket item (It's too big for her pocket, though).

I did more work on Dana.

Rheta is another character in my novel.

BB and I drove to Maine and stopped at Heidi's in NH on the way and she and I did mole artwork together--they are both pix off Biker Buddy!  Both a little stylized.

I loved visiting Heidi--we had so much fun!!!  THANKS Heidi, for the hospitality!!!  :-D

Sorry to say I've been sick since I got home.  More to follow asap.

2nd page in Molly's by Mary

I'm going away shortly for a week and I am hoping I can do this before I leave (but I can't promise to, as I also have other commitments.)

But tonight, I have to stay up late because my son is coming home on the train for the weekend from college.  So I worked on another page in Molly's Moleskine.

Dana Waznik
(by me standing in for Yllsa)

Dana Wasnik is the protagonist, main character, of my serial novel, Discovery at Little Hog Island.  She, like Ross in the last post, is a fictional character, so I'm making her up.  Watercolor.

The part of the novel where this picture will appear has not been written yet, but you can read earlier parts here if you wish.  (Links to the installments on cowbird).

Red-headed Woodpecker in Ballookey's Mole

Red-headed Woodpecker, Watercolor

I guess I am on a woodpecker kick.  Water color, 5 x 8.  Click image to view larger.

Ivory Bill in Balookey's

I've been traveling and unfortunately, too busy to do art on the road, but I'm home now and just completed the Ivory bill. Below is the two-page spread.  Watercolor, micron pen.  (Click images to view larger.)

Rediscovering the Ivorybill, half a collab for Ammon

005 micron pen, watercolor.  Click image to view larger.

Pileated Pair, Scott's Yard, in Ballookey round 3

Pileated Pair, from photos by Scott Carter out the window of his spare room at Silk Creek.  Watercolor, by me, Mary Taitt, in Ballookey's Mole.  Click image to view larger.  The male pileated is perched on the outside of the house, threatening his own reflection, which he takes as another male.  Click image to view larger.

We got Snow in our Boots (Round 3)

"We got snow in our boots."

Water color and water color blocker (masking fluid). No gouache. (click image to view larger.)

This is the piece whose sketch I ruined and had to do over. I did it without references--I do better with references, but my computer was unavailable.

(At least I am feeling a little better today.)

But we ran anyway

"But we ran anyway," page two of an imaginary kids' story. Watercolor. I did the snowflakes and flying snow with both masking fluid and gouache.

Click image to view larger. (The scan isn't great either.)

I am still sick. :-(

Why I should never paint or do art when I am sick (or without sleep, as sickness tends to leave me):

• I made a lot of stupid mistakes. :-(
• I kept leaving the water color palette open when I wasn't using it and then setting my hand or arm or the Mole in it. :-(
• I worked really hard on a sketch for the next piece and then proceeded to totally ruin it beyond redemption so I have to start all over again.

Luckily, this is my own Mole (round 3), hope things improve before the next one.

It was not a good day to run away

First round 3 painting, in my A4 landscape watercolor mole. Watercolor and gouache (snowflakes). Being up with insomnia (and being sick) is probably not the best time to paint--tired! Woozy! Didn't sketch first or look at any references, just painted. Prolly should have not painted the kids dead center. Oh well. Click image to view larger.

In Milo's: Homeless and Hungry #100818-1147

Homeless & Hungry #100818-1147,

In Milo's Mole, looks a little like more of the same from Willie's book, but it's a little different--straight water color, no pen and ink. And, in spite of the similarity, my theme idea is a little different, which I don't know if I'll be successful at it until I do more of them. If it works, I'll tell you the theme. Click image to view larger.

I thought I would use the water color mole for its intended purpose, water color, especially since I'm one of the loudmouths who wanted to use them. Sorry to those who don't like them.

"There but for Fortune . . .

Go You or I, you or I." Last solo piece in Willie's Mole.