Thank You!

/ Jodi

 

watercolor thank you christmas 2015 1

Happy New Year friends, and thank you for being here with me this past year at lifeinbetween.me!

I had fun with one of my Christmas gifts from hubby – my new art easel – one day this week on my holiday break and spent a little time watercolor painting.

easel art

I thought it was a good time to design a holiday thank you note,

watercolor thank you christmas 2015 2

so I goofed around with a few loose pine tree designs that I can copy and create cards from.

watercolor thank you christmas 2015 3

Wishing you a happy new year filled with many moments to cherish!  Take the time to notice them,

to appreciate them,

to truly cherish them –

for it is these moments

that create a lifetime.

Cheers & Hugs,

Jodi

60 thoughts on “Thank You!”

  2. Happy New Year, Jodi, and I hope you had a Happy Birthday yesterday too! Your trees look great, but the one that really catches my eye is the landscape in the lower left. Woo, that one looks pretty amazing!! Your skills are really improving, I’m impressed! I hope you have a wonderful 2016, my friend! 💛🎨👍🏼

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  3. PS I’m curious if you saw Angela Fehr’s YouTube on pine trees! I remember trying pine trees last year and having a really tough time but her video helped. If you didn’t see it, I’m even more amazed because your style is a lot like hers in the fade out at the bottom, and the loose feel of this. There is soooo much great stuff from lots of generous people on YouTube, and I know you enjoy it too, so I thought I’d ask.

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    • YES! I did! and that is what inspired me to try those trees. I’m impressed that you see the likeness – LOL! I just discovered her and love her style. I may consider doing some of her online classes! There is so much great stuff on YouTube! So many tutorials – so little time – haha!

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      • True, this was before I switched to good paper, but I’m past trees for the moment and obsessed with animals now. Maybe by next Christmas that’ll change but man, trees are challenging I think in any medium. I bet someone could spend a career just on trees! Hehe! I’m glad they worked out for you.

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      • No, but it’s my journey. I think that’s what my blogging break helped me see. I follow so many blogs, as I know you do as well. They are all so inspirational and I want to try so many things I see. I’m very easily distracted! But circling back to where I started last January, which was with animals and portraits, it made me realize that that is where I think my natural abilities lie. Maybe more with the human face, I don’t know, but I know that in high school I could draw no faces. They were uniformly bad. I don’t know what happened (maybe meno, haha) but the ability to get a likeness was somehow dropped in my lap and it’d be silly not to try and do something with that. Anyway I’m droning on but the distance from seeing so much cool art here made me realize that it’s natural subjects and particularly eyes and faces that draw me the most. So why not spend some time and focus on those things? I’ve not settled on a medium yet, I seem to fall in love with everything I pick up. I wish I had a better handle on that but at least I know (for now, anyway) what subjects I really want to focus on. It is easy to become overwhelmed by soooo many subjects and mediums. They all draw me at some level but the break helped me see this. I want to do a little bit of everything I see here on the blogs lol. But I have to follow my path. Do you feel like this too? You seem to be pretty settled down with watercolor, and maybe landscapes will be your thing, or have you decided? You seem to be much better at going with the flow! I think this is a very good thing. 💛

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      • I totally get it Laura! I too fall in love with many styles and types of art, but soo love watercolor! I just need to find my niche in watercolor. I love loose styles. My hero is Debi Riley – OH if I could do what she does with paint! Swoon! I love that abstract, free style that LOOKS so easy, but is NOT! I so respect her gift! Wish she didn’t live on the other side of the world, and I could personally work with her. But, alas, I do not know if that is “my” style. Time may or may not tell, just going to enjoy the journey. Appreciate your encouragement, and adore what you do. When I first “met” you, it was through face sketches. I think you are right that it is your sweet spot – as long as you LOVE doing it! xo

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      • I do love doing it, for sure. I could do eyes only and love it! I’d love to be able to do watercolor animals or even pen and watercolor ones. I think for now though I have to get the drawing right. I can’t expect to draw a cat poorly and have a great painted cat. And for me, shading with watercolor is harder than with a pencil or pen. In some ways it’s easier but not all. In any event, the drawing has to be right. So I really need to focus on the form. And see where it leads. I remember a fence you painted months ago, I think it may have been during my break. I thought that was really good too and so I’m wondering if you wind up being a landscape painter. You also have a beautiful subject at your feet in Charlie! And all of the flowers and birds too. So many directions to go in but I agree, I think Debi’s stuff is amazing and I would love to create the gorgeous abstract landscape stuff she does. Just talking about it tempts me to go try some now – see what I mean? I have dogs and cats (and a horse) to sketch people lol! You seriously have a natural gift for color and a really beautiful stylish flair so I don’t think there is any limit to what you could accomplish. I’ll be curious what we’ll both be doing at this time next year! 💛💜💛

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  6. I just love, love love, the pine tree thank you notes!! Awesome! And I LOVE the new easel! I can hardly wait to see all the new paintings you present to us this year! Happy New Year Jodi and may you have a very blessed new year!

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  7. And a big THANK YOU to you too, Jodi for your wonderful blog, paintings, recipes, photos etc. Thank you for sharing them with us! Happy New Year to you and yours!

    -Pam

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  9. Hi Jodi, I love your new easel set up. I can see that there will be many paintings to come. Today’s trees are exciting, I really like your loose and free strokes.
    This year will be an exciting year if art for all of us. Xxoo
    😄✍🎨

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  13. Happy belated Birthday and a very Happy New Year to you Jodi! I too love your trees and your script type, so pretty-the perfect accent. Your easel is wonderful what a thoughtful gift! I’m looking forward to more trees and yummy treats and who knows what from you creative lady!

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  17. Jodi! Happy New Year!! Your trees are beautiful, so strong, yet so free and lively. That’s the best thing about nature, right! So *resilient*! Able to bend and adapt, while rooted in purpose and being for its own sake…
    So glad to have found you this year! Here’s to another years of sharing beauty and joy! Thank you for your contributions to the world, you make it better! 😊

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  18. I love all the colors you painted into your trees! I guess I need to watch the video that you and Laura were talking about! 😃 And I like your easel and set up. 🎨 I like how you paint the magic into your subjects too. Well done my friend! 😍💖🌟

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  19. Jodi, love the pine tree watercolor paintings. My childhood was in the Pine Tree State. The first tree has a magical swirl at the base, much like a Japanese painting! Look forward to more 2016 watercolor beauties! Belated Happy Birthday! 🎉 Chryssa

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  22. dear artist Jodi, I love these. love that you’re not afraid of taking risks. of letting the paints drip, splash, melt and do ‘naughty’ things! you allow the accidents to happen, and then you turn them to ASSETS! that is an artist’s way of thinking 🙂 thank you, for your touching words…. if at all possible; I would try to go east coast 🙂 I was thinking of VA anyways…. Cheers, Debi

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      • Jodi, again, one of the things I so admire (tho there’s many!) is you just Risk it! never be worried about my ‘opinion’ 🙂 I really want to see my sister this summer. so, I’m 75% made up my mind. not sure which state you’re in, so?

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  25. Thanks for sharing with us, Jodi! I always enjoy your blog, and it’s one of the few that I make the time to read every single day. It always makes me smile and always has something positive to offer. And that’s a gift from you to your readers. Looking forward to another great year!

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    • Oh Ann! There you go again – making my day! Sweet words like this encourage me so. We all have good and bad in our lives, but if I can find at least one positive thing to appreciate and share each day, that is my goal, and I am so glad you appreciate. I greatly appreciate you. Thank you for your gift to me that you read it every day.

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