Purple Irises in Watercolor

/ Jodi
purple-iris-2-black-border-matted

Single Purple Iris Watercolor Loose 8 x 10

Purple Irises in Watercolor.

Continuing on my kick of violet and crimson and gold…
and thinking floral…
and thinking Spring… (it continues to be in the 60’s and sunny here this crazy February of Spring in Western Pennsylvania!)

I created a couple iris paintings.

They are both very different, but I kinda love them both.

I painted these on Sunday after dinner on what was such a beautiful sunny, warm day.

I have to admit I gave purple irises a try on Saturday (in the midst of “construction” work on another project in the house).

I painted four or five different versions.  They were all terrible!

I hate days like that.  It makes me feel like I’ve “lost it.”   Not to say I’m anything magnificent in the whole big world of amazing watercolor artists.  But I’ve finally come to a place where I feel like I have some bit of my own style and can often appreciate the beauty in some of my work.

When I did this first one, I was so pleased.  I felt like I finally achieved what I was going for.

I thought I’d try another version, and I like it too.   In fact, I can’t decide between the two.  I wish the photos better represented what they look like – or maybe it ‘s just me, but they look so much better in real life.

purple-iris-1-black-border-matted

Single Violet Iris Loose Watercolor 8 x 10

Wishing you a day filled with simple little victories and moments to feel good about yourself!

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

72 thoughts on “Purple Irises in Watercolor”

  2. With the photographing – it’s not you! Photographing art work is actually quite hard – you need very good light and a few good editing techniques up your sleeve – and I’m a very seasoned photographer! Some of my art work looks much better in reality too, and sometimes no matter what I do I can’t get the camera to quite capture what I see with my eye – it’s an on going challenge… !

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  6. I like them both but I think I like the first one better. Just love purples! You’re in Western PA? That’s where I’m from – I’ve lived in Pittsburgh i.e. Millvale, Lawrenceville, Sharpsburg, Bloomfield, North Side, and Bethel Park to name a few. I don’t miss the weather at all! 🙂

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    • Thank you Carol! Nice to “meet” you! I know where all of those places are as I too am from a suburb of Pittsburgh – Mars is about 20 minutes North of the city! And FYI – we are having GORGEOUS weather this week – LOL! It’s been near or in the 70’s all week. can you believe it? In February?!! where do you live now?

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      • I know where Mars is – didn’t have reason to go there much but I know of it. I live in South Carolina now. Been here for 9 years. My family still lives in Pgh (Millvale). That’s amazing that it’s such good temperature there. Practically unheard of but I’m glad. We get mild winters here but it is unseasonable warm here too. Our bushes are blooming and I’m wearing t-shirts. 🙂 Haven’t been to Pittsburgh visiting for a couple of years – need to get back there to see my family. 🙂 Things that I miss…Giant Eagle & Get Go convenience store. haha 🙂

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      • I used to go to the one in Fox Chapel first of all. The grocery stores down here are awful and not much selection. What I missed at GE was the HUGE selection of everything. Huge deli and produce section, a flower& gift section, at the time Iggle Video. My sister says Iggle Video is gone now but there’s other things. I miss the coffee/lounging area. One time I went there and they had a piano player. I miss lots of other things about Pgh like shopping in the Strip District. The stores here are very small and just carry basic ingredients. I live in a small town called Cheraw. It’s beautiful here but you can’t get a decent coffee anywhere and there are no bakeries. Back to Giant Eagle – I loved that area so much – the whole Waterworks area, that I would drive there and park in the parking area just to think or talk on the phone – just hang out. If I got hungry, I went to Abate, King’s, or that sub shop. If I wanted something sweet, I’d go into Barnes & Noble and get a coffee and brownie. But I would always go to Giant Eagle. The last time I visited my family, I had no reason to go to GE but I went there anyway and bought a jingle bell spider I hang from my rearview mirror. I just love that place. My sister said next I come up, she’ll take me to GE because apparently it’s become a bit of a hot spot. 🙂

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      • Well – see that? Now that you mention – it is pretty awesome! LOL! And I love the Strip District too! And Waterworks is awesome. See – Pittsburgh is pretty great (despite the sometimes not so sunny weather!) LOL!

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      • Oh! And the Arts Festival!!!! I loved going there and sometimes the Regatta. They have what they call a festival here but their food consists of a Pizza Hut TRUCK! Can you believe that??? And they call it “Italian cuisine.” I’m serious!

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      • Market District? I HAVE to go there. If you can’t tell by now, I’m all about the food. I love to cook and try new things and I’m very limited here. Still, we (hubby & I) love the weather here and we haven’t seen snow in a few years except a light dusting a few years ago. 🙂

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  8. I would suggest that creativity, and self-evaluation, is always going to be up and down. Sometimes I wrote a Post which really flows nicely and makes total sense (at least to me), but then another Post will have 20+ changes before it is published. With writing, I have the luxury of being able to modify things as much as I want. With water colors…….. you are rather limited however, take heart because any opinion of art is very subjective. Perhaps your audience is better equipped to critique your work than you are? 🙂

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    • always such good insight Colin. great points. I often do the same with my writing! but yes, you are correct – with the watercolor – there is no backspace or delete button 🙂 but then that is the fun challenge too! do you prefer one of the other? Or perhaps neither? it’s ok – I’m just intrigued to know 🙂

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    • I prefer the first one simply because the petals are not so ragged however, the black framing pretty much kills both of them for me! I would suggest no framing if you can contrast with the blog background, or put a simple line around the paintings just to delineate the edge. Well…. you asked! 🙂

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      • LOL! Love your honesty! 🙂 It’s just a digital frame and I usually don’t do it. Good advice! And I love how some choose one and some the other. Too fun.

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  14. I have stacks of so-so paintings. 😉 I like to look back at them and see how much I’ve changed and grown in my art practice. I think as artists we all have days when our art really speaks to us and then days when we just can’t seem to make things work. I know I do!! 😃 I love both of these paintings, Jodi! 💜 They look and FEEL like Iris flowers to me. They remind me of my mom. I can almost smell their sweet scent! 💐

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  17. 🙂 the smile is First! they just made me smile. both are lovely Jodi. you found a way, to be unrestrained – yet still have some control over where the paint ran. letting us glimpse into the flower itself, as it might be a whole different world! So Exciting!! I do feel that the 2nd one calls to me, a bit more with intrigue. Maybe its petals have a glow of Light and luminosity to them that I just can’t resist! Well Done!

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  19. I love them both! If I had to choose between the two, I’d pick the second but I couldn’t begin to tell you why. As for the days when you’re unhappy with what you produce, I think that’s just part of the creative process. Some days it flows, other days we struggle but still like the finished result, and other days: nothing. (There are times when I think constructing a sentence as simple as: “See Jane run” is beyond my feeble powers.) Maybe those are the days our creativity is taking a much-needed break? Who knows? All I do know is that it always comes back!

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    • You are so sweet! Thank you ann! I know what you mean about the writing too. I enjoy writing equally!! Somedays the words just flow – like for my post today – “Don’t” – other days I struggle. 🙂

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