Thank you all for your kind comments regarding my most recent lunar sketch. Sorry it has taken me so long to return and reply this time.
Orestis - Yes most of my recent work has progressed from surreal solar sketching that used to include my sketching hand in the image [some had shown several times in NASA's Spaceweaeather.com and once in Astronomy Picture of the Day November 17 2006], then I turned to the moon just occasionally since mid 2008.
Leinad and others - Yes I usually spend the bulk time sketching the whole moon part in about 4 hours, the usual time it takes for all the details as well as I can rush them from eyepiece observation for a 12 inch diameter lunar disc, as time is limited to possible approaching clouds or the moon sets depending on time of month. My eyes are stressed to focus from the eyepiece and to the pastel paper possibly several hundred times while producing one of these works in several hours, so my vision can become extremely fatigued for several days after completing a large art work and thus I must rest the eyes before attempting another work. I am physically fit for 55 but my eyesight is technically blind for distance without corrective lenses.
I may have finished up a few details for an additional hour or so and the imaginary landscape at bottom is usually the easiest part sometimes only taking perhaps 30 minutes or so as it is entirely made up from imagination quickly.
I also take several photos with a tripod mounted consumer-grade camera through the telescope eyepiece for reference but I try not to rely too much on them as copying from a photo can spoil the freshness of the live observed image.
As for sale, I am just now receiving serious requests for purchases, but those who have expressed interest, only want the originals. I only have a few that I have used for display purposes and lectures so I am not too willing to part with them. I have experimented with photo copying but not yet pleased with the images when reproduced yet.
In the mean time you might refer to my www.markseibold.com for a quick reference. *See the 'About Me' icon in upper right for my life bio, plus severasl other icons there for information, one for a few of my award winning photography, the bottom front page shows a variety of my older art from art school in 1973 ~ 1974 and one piece from the 6th grade. A recent charcoal sketch from live model in class December 2009.
Also I post new images frequently in The Cloudy Nights Sketch Forums, and my gallery at Cloudy Nights is cross-rerferenced from www.markseibold.com >
Mark Seibold's Cloudy Nights Gallery >
http://www.cloudynights.com/photopost/showgallery.php?thumb=1&cat=500&si= markseibold&perpage=12&sort=2&stype =&ppuser=
At www.markseibold.com and my Cloudy Nights Gallery you may also see a small selection of photography, some awarded and published in Astronomy magazine and other venues; also a few images of the public and myself on the sidewalks where I provide public sidewalk astronomy often as weatherr allows. I was also known for providing much in public sidewalk astronomy a few years ago across the US ~ Canadian continent and in the Fiji Islands with an h-alpha solar telescope and that is seen in news at the upper right icon 'About' - Also at www.markseibold.com, see short independent motion film work of LS Solar Prophet [c2003] which runs6.5 minutes [at two bottom icons on front page] with 2.5 minute TV News following or click to see full screen size from Youtube, and the more exerted Trinidad [c2001] movie running 15 minutes with much in rich narrative. A rough 8mm Black and White with all dubbed sound from original documentary of three actors [one of is including Mark Seibold] (Click to see full size screen at Google and description.)
Mark
*PS: Attached are few recent images at the scope and the drawing board. One final image is from the studio where I currently and temporarily live.