Israel Kamakawiwo 'Ole for Ed Burton by Sheila

click to enlarge

I enjoyed contributing to Edward Burton's theme on music. Israel Kamakawiwo'Ole is a Hawaiian Icon. He was always popular in Hawaii but only gained National attention with his rendition of "Over the Rainbow". Go to my blog if you'd like to listen to a more traditional Hawaiian song. This is watercolor.

VERN SCHWARZ - Bike Break

This is my first contribution for The Flying Moleskins, and the recipient of this oil on paper, is that very fine gentleman and wonderful artist, Dean Haven. I had the pleasure of speaking with Dean the other day, and he is a very engaging fellow who is great fun to compare notes with. Dean, I hope you like it, and I hope it folds well (after it dries), and does all the right stuff to look good in your moleskin book. This is from a photo I took while in Germany, and I plan to do a couple more from this trip. So fellow moleskinners, if you'd like something along these lines, chime in now. By the way, I first sprayed the pages with Kamar varnish (thanks James Parker), and then gave it two coats of gesso.

UPDATE

Well it seems it is the consensus from most of us that ounce you receive your book please do not paint on the back of the work of someone else's pages. Use those pages to write about your experience or any-other thought or nothing at all.
We all have books / moleskins etc.. that have enough pages to accommodate the space between each painting.

February 15 will be our next  launch
( if Liz and Adebanji can mail a bit earlier great )

ADEBANJI ALADE

TITLE: "got spare change, please..?"
MEDIUM: Graphite, Biro(ball point pen) and number 75 TomBow Brushpen.



HOMELESSNESS and POVERTY

I have been very very busy hence the late start for me. Please accept my apology!! I could only just post to Dean today and I feel real bad about this.

I have as my theme: Homelessness and Poverty. Even the Mole has a hole to live comfortably but most folks around us don't and some live on the streets, beg for money, or hustle along, facing the agony of living rough. These are the kind of pieces I'll like to see in my moleskin, anything that you feel goes along with this theme.



My Front Cover

Just like James Parker I would love you all to create on a full page spread in any medium and leave the next page spread blank or with some comments(I have shown this in a example in my book in the beginning, for you all to see)

I got my first batch of moleskins from Liz yesterday, it was great to receive, not only did it have this lovely created box but also gifts for my children! I feel this is great because it is bringing us all together in a way I never thought. I hope this continues! Thanks Dominique for getting this going.

Michelle Burnett - Postcards & Snapshots

Well, I finally got something done! I tried my hand at watercolor which was kind of fun, but now that I've seen others using oil on gessoed paper I might try that. Okay...I changed the name of my theme (ever so slightly) to Postcards & Snapshots...anything to do with you or where you live...your favorite things, places, etc. This is will now be making it's way to Camille. Thanks again Dominique...I'm looking forward to receiving your book soon!

Sheila Tajima- What do you love?

I know everyone's art. I'd like to take this opportunity to get to know a little more about my favorite artists/bloggers. I finished this last night.

Extra snaps for Dominique for getting this ball rolling. I think this is a unique project where all the participants receive a rare collection of artwork in one book! I'm looking forward to each piece. Cheers!

DOMINIQUE EICHI

GOING OUT

                            
I'm ready to leave on this adventure with you all. I'm walking out, that's it I can't go back. There is no return until I'm done.  :-)
My theme is landscapes, trees, roads with shadows and light.
I look forward to adding to your moleskins. Michelle this book is coming your way. Have fun !
This was done in Acrylic/watercolor.

Wildlife With James Parker

Okay, I truly feel like a kindergarten kid in the Senior Class. But here goes... My moleskin sketchbook is a Mead 5x9 sketchbook, spiral bound, with a whole bunch of pages. My theme is Wildlife. No, not Wild Life! Gave that up a while back. The way I've set it up is to have your artwork on two open pages...leave the next 2 pages blank for a personal note from the artist, then the next artist would have the next two pages for art, followed by 2 pages of blank/notes, and so on. That way, no art would be on the back of other work. Duh...I'm new at this :-l


This is my send-off artwork. You can see I kept faithful to my amateurish, cartoon style..."Have fun, sling paint, maybe in 200 years it will be worth sumtin'" style. Try not to think harshly of that "Peeping Jim" peering over the hedge. I sprayed Kamar varnish on the pages, and then used acrylics. It worked...no crinkling.

I've been a stamp collector for years and had started pasting stamps on the cover as a kind "travelling" theme. Then I saw that Liz had done the same thing. Well, I thought, "Boy, Liz is one terrific, imaginative genius!!" My cover is below.


Thank you, Dominique, for starting this. It looks like a lot of fun, that will leave each of a treasure that is priceless. Good luck, fellow MoleBloggers! (Molesters really looked bad) ................James

CAMILLE OLSEN - Portrait of Richard Olsen

I had the hardest time deciding what to paint and then it occurred to me this morning, duh! --my husband Richard! I just took some pictures of him recently and this is from one of my favorites. He is the sweetest man ever born and he's really funny too, always has a twinkle in his eye. This 5 x 8 painting is done in acrylic since I need to mail it tomorrow and I just started it a few hours ago (yes, as usual I procrastinated but I just wasn't sure what to paint!) I plan to paint in oil on gesso in everyone else's books. Angela, off the book goes to you tomorrow, and draw or paint whatever you want. Everyone, Peace was my original suggested theme but just do whatever moves you. Oh boy, launch date tomorrow, woohoo!

Dana Cooper...Follow The Dreams

oil on gessoed paper with paint pen

My topic for this moleskin project is about dreams. It is painted in oils first with a brush, then a palette knife as an ode to Van Gogh's Starry Night. I then added a gold paint pen to finish it off the foreground area, though I'm not sure why. I get to peek into the lives of the other artists through their artwork and now through their dreams... I can't wait to see the results!
Thanks Dominique, it's coming your way!

VERN SCHWARZ

    TO THE ART SHOW

Whew, I am relieved to get this piece done and hopefully it will dry in time to send it down the road, like our intrepid cyclist pictured above. Several artists have formed a small group filling paint books (moleskins) with a piece from each artist. This was the brainchild of Dominique Eichi who has spent a lot of time organizing this thing . Thanks Dominique and thanks for asking me to join in. I feel honored. I'm not going to set a theme for my book, as everyone has their strengths and passions, and that is what I'd love to see.
oil on gessoed watercolour paper

Edward Burton

Acrylic
For my theme I chose music, I have it playing all the time in my studio and since jazz is my favorite form of music I did this piece... though I have to admit I'm not terribly adept with acrylic.

IRIT BOURLA

VENICE BEACH

Close to my place are colorful homes in Venice Beach California.

Oil on lightly gessoed Moleskin. Thank you Dominique for the advice.

Unfinished work but will go out as is to Dana.

Happy travel!  My theme your local beautiful spot or whatever you decide.

ANGELA ELLEDGE

Black ink pen/watercolor pencils

I've chosen the theme: places, and decided to show you my little painting place. I used to paint in the closet (door to the left). Well, things got a little crowded in that closet, so, a trip to one of my favorite thrift stores turned up a decent table/workspace. I moved some furniture around in the family room, and now, the closet is for storing painting stuff... which, of course, is getting very crowded and ready for a cleaning, but that will have to wait until Spring.

Thank you for including me in this fun adventure; I look forward to seeing everyone's art! This theme is meant to be very open, do whatever you like, have fun and enjoy! James, I'm mailing my book to you on Saturday.

DEAN HAVEN

I did this little sketch of Mr. Mole from the animated film "Wind In The Willows". Mr. Mole is excited about all the places his journey will take him. It was done with a set of Shades Of Grey Pitt Pens.

There will be no theme. Just do what appeals to you at the moment. I am looking forward to all the great art!

MICHELLE BURNETT

I haven't done my first sketch yet... I did doodle a title page to at least get going . I'm trying to go with a traveling theme...something like "postcards and souvenirs"...each person draws something that describes them or where they live...very open to interpretation. 

Thanks to everyone,
Michelle

title page

LIZ HOLM

The first one to fly off in the wide blue wonder

Where so proud of you Liz

"THE FLYING MOLESKINS"

front acrylic

                                   back, collage                                              

 My theme is portraits (any sort). 
I've only decorated the pack so far - will do my interior page to add when it's returned.  

I made the pack out of BFK Rives - just folded a large sheet together and glued the sides.  I punched holes in the side panels and braided string to tie it together. It's hand-painted with acrylics. The vintage stamps I printed off on the ink jet printer, and glued them on.  It was fun! :-)

I wrapped the pack in bubble wrap, and mailed it in a USPS Express box to Adebanji today. It should be ok in a small one rate box in the U.S. or a padded envelope.
Thanks.

                                                             xoLiz

THEME or no THEME ?

I wanted to give you some thoughts on.
A theme for your book, it could be  :
anything green
people or animals
water elements
etc....
if you do pick a theme the advantage is that it will give us a possible direction not forsaking the option of doing anything we desired but it might give the artist working on your book some directions or ideas in the same possibilities as Michelle's blog Following the Masters or DSFDF.
This would give some cohesion to the overhaul look of each book ounce finished.
But not having a theme can also be a total surprise on each page.
So follow your heart and let's have fun.

GET READY ......SET.......DRAW

ouf.......... now that's out of the way . (I'm referring to deciding on a name for this blog)

I need to say how honored I am for all of you MEMBERS of

'the flying moleskins' to join me in this traveling painting adventure.

I have to explain myself a bit on the decision of starting this.

I noticed on my blog surfing time that there was sometimes mention of a sketchbook being passed around from artist to artist and was envious of their participation BUT wondered about who gets the book when finished.

That my friends is NOT something I can live with ( not wanting any serious ENVY in me )

So I decided what if we each had our own book ( O yea I can be happy with that ) would be great.

Since a year 1/2 ago a wonderful community of artist was formed from a now famous blog called Different Strokes From Different Folks created by Karin Jurick.

Well we commented, e-mailed, called and even visited each others during this time. I thought it quite normal to ask some of the original artist participating in DSFDF to join my little adventure.

So here we are 14 of us willing to draw, paint or whatever into each others moleskins.

I am so looking forward to this with you all.

LAUNCH DATE of mailing JANUARY 18