Month: June 2017

I’m O-Fish-Ally Hooked on You Daddy!

/ Jodi / 33 Comments

I am O-Fish-Ally Hooked on You Daddy!

If you are looking for a cute and easy, creative Father’s Day Card to make from a child or grandchild to his daddy or grandpap, how about this cute little hand print fishy?  (Especially if Daddy or Pap enjoys fishing!)

My little granddaughter and I made this for her Daddy for his first Father’s Day.  On the inside, we wrote:  “You are the best daddy in the whole sea!”

A great little gift idea to go with the “theme” that we did was a gift bag full of fish:  Swedish Red Fish and Pepperidge Farm Goldfish Crackers, which come in at least a dozen different flavors ranging from Vanilla Cupcake, S’mores, and Fudge Brownie to Pizza, Chedder, Pretzel, and Honey Mustard and Pretzel Blends.

Hope all the Daddys and Grandpaps out there are o-fish-ally recognized and surrounded with love on their special upcoming day.

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

Idea inspired by:  gluetomycraftsblog

Caught in the Net

/ Jodi / 48 Comments
Caught in the Net - Fishing Net in Black & White - Lake Arthur - May 2017

Caught in the Net – Fishing Net in Black & White – Lake Arthur – May 2017

Caught in the Net.

I believe that there is one story in the world, and only one. . . . Humans are caught—in their lives, in their thoughts, in their hungers and ambitions, in their avarice and cruelty, and in their kindness and generosity too—in a net of good and evil. . . . There is no other story. A man, after he has brushed off the dust and chips of his life, will have left only the hard, clean questions: Was it good or was it evil? Have I done well—or ill?

― John Steinbeck, East of Eden

 

A good question to ask ourselves at the end of each day … “Have I done well?”

And if not…  tomorrow is  another day.

Keep on trying.

Be caught in the net of good.

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

Purple Finch in Watercolor

/ Jodi / 31 Comments
Purple Finch in Watercolor 5x10 140lb Saunders Cold Press

Purple Finch in Watercolor 5×10 140lb Saunders Cold Press

Purple Finch in Watercolor.

After moving on from yesterday’s post  and so grateful for the many kind comments and encouragement from so many of you, I decided to paint!

Yep!

But just a sweet, simple, loose little impression of one of the beautiful little birds that visits our backyard frequently – the purple finch.

And it just so happens to be the 8th of the month, which is #DrawaBirdDay, so why not?!  It’s been a while since I’ve participated.

I painted this little darlin’ on an odd-sized “scrap” of watercolor paper I had that was about 5×10″.  I used Quinacridone Rose for the “purple” and mixtures of Curelean Blue, Yellow Ochre, and Rose for the browns/grays.  I added an extra dash of Perylene Violet to the background just for kicks, used a white gel pen for some feathery “detail,” and finished with some signature splashes.

It was fun, and I like how it turned out.

Now I must go feed the birds!

Have a wonderfully fun day filled with doing something you love.

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

 

I Failed!

/ Jodi / 111 Comments

I failed…

I let people down.
I let myself get upset.
I got in over my head.
I took on more than I could handle – bit off more than I could chew.

And now…
I have to eat crow,
because I told everyone about it before I really carefully considered it,
before I really tried it,
before I realized the time and commitment involved.

You may recall I got all excited about some paintings I did for a sweet blogging friend, Carolyn, who is co-authoring a book with Colin.  Carolyn had challenged me to paint some characters in the book they are writing.  I did, with the full intention of gifting them to her, but when she fell in love with them (and Colin liked them too), they asked if I would be interested in illustrating their book.

In my enthusiasm, I eagerly accepted.

Then they sent me the first chapter to illustrate…

After three evenings’ attempts, my “illustration” didn’t even look good enough to turn in for a First Grade art project!

I grew frustrated and began to get nervous at how much time would be involved in creating 30 illustrations – likely through multiple iterations – and the time I had to do it in -considering I work full time (and then some), the time I love spending with my family, the time I enjoy on this blog, and the real creativity I enjoy.

What was I thinking??  I have no education or professional experience in this.  I am NOT an illustrator.  I love loose, expressive watercolor painting – painting flowers and birds and any ole’ thing that strikes my fancy.  I love turning them into cards and prints and sharing and selling them on my Daughter-in-Law’s and my little Etsy Shop.

But drawing and painting pictures and scenes….   Well – not only do I not (currently) have the talent  (I say that because I believe anyone can learn to do almost anything they want to do with enough time, practice, effort, and passion for it), but I honestly don’t have the time or the passion for it.

So I quickly told Carolyn and Colin this just wasn’t going to work for me.

It was HARD!

I do not like to fail…
I do not like to give up…
I do not like to break commitments…
I do not like to let people down.

But they were so understanding, and my four paintings were carefully packaged and mailed to Carolyn for her to always have as a small gift and remembrance from me.

And I have to admit a weight has been lifted from my shoulders,
and my heart is light and carefree again.
I failed, but I failed fast and am not beating myself up about.
I uncommitted quickly and decisively and before I got in too deep.

I painted this big red letter F.
I loosely painted a big red circle around it.

and I feel Free,
and I am Forgiving myself.
I am Focusing on what I love to do,
and I am having Fun…

at Life In Between.

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

PS  Thank you Carolyn and Colin for your faith in me, for giving me this experience, for helping me realize where my heart is, and for forgiving me for letting you down.  I wish you the greatest success on your Moonbeam Farm books!  I know I’ll be purchasing and reading them – and admiring someone else’s illustrations! 🙂

 

A Rainbow of Umbrellas

/ Jodi / 31 Comments

A Rainbow of Umbrellas Shading the Sunshine at Pittsburgh Three Rivers Arts Festival - June 2017

A Rainbow of Umbrellas Shading the Sunshine at Pittsburgh Three Rivers Arts Festival – June 2017

A Rainbow of Umbrellas.

May the shelter you seek
from sunshine or rain
be as bright and cheerful
as this canopy of colorful umbrellas.

And may you always remember
even the most beautiful flowers
need both sunshine and rain
to bloom and grow!

Cheers & Hugs in Rain or Shine,
Jodi

#Pittsburgh #ThreeRiversArtsFestival
P.S. Got lucky and spent a beautiful sunny day at our local arts festival Saturday with a couple of my favorite girls.  The festival is sadly known for bringing the rain every year, and it has been living up to its reputation ever since. Poor vendors. Bring on the sunshine!

Blue Heron Taking Flight in Watercolor

/ Jodi / 38 Comments
Blue Heron Taking Flight Watercolor - 8x10 140 lb Saunders Cold Press

Blue Heron Taking Flight Watercolor – 8×10 140 lb Saunders Cold Press

Blue Heron Taking Flight in Watercolor.

It’s been a busy week and weekend, but I found a little time Sunday evening to do a some painting.

I saw a photo my blogging friend Jenna took and posted on The Painted Apron that really drew me in.  I mentioned to Jenna the photo looked like a “painting in waiting.”

Jenna doesn’t prefer to paint birds or people. (She says she can’t, but I’m sure that’s not true!  She is a very gifted artist!)  She told me she would love for me to paint him.  So here he is Jenna.   I could probably do a bit better with another try, but no time left this weekend.  That’s okay…  I’m still an artist taking flight, and I’m going to reach for that soar!

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

Brilliant Bird Banter

/ Jodi / 39 Comments
Purple Finch - Mars, PA June 2017

Purple Finch – Mars, PA June 2017

Brilliant Bird Banter.

Rise early.
Sing a joyful tune.
Share with your friends.
Spread your wings and soar.
Spend time in the woods.
Make a cozy nest.

(This is just one of the many beautiful purple finches  that visit our backyard.  He’s enjoying a sunflower seed from a feeder that hangs on our deck.  We so enjoy sharing our woods and yard with our bird friends, and we can learn a lot from them too!)

Cheers & Chirps,
Jodi

The “Man-Servant” of Moonbeam Farm

/ Jodi / 53 Comments

The “Man-Servant” of Moonbeam Farm.

Another character from Moonbeam Farm has come to life!

Please allow me to introduce you to the “Man-Servant” who lives with his animal friends Odessa, Dewey, and Jaxon.

You may recall me introducing you to his friends this past week, beginning with a “just for fun” stab I took at painting Odessa the owl in watercolor at the urging of my blogging friend Carolyn at Nuggets of Gold, who is collaborating with Colin at A Dog’s Life on a children’s book.

Carolyn and Colin were so pleased with the painting of Odessa, they asked if it could be used as the cover photo for their first book, “The Odessa Chronicles.”  I am honored to do so, and I must admit quite flattered and thrilled!  I was then encouraged to paint Dewey and Jaxon, which they ended up loving too.

Then I needed to create the Man-Servant.  Unlike the others, which I created on a first-try, Man-Servant took four iterations before we all decided he was the one.  At first, I was a bit frustrated, but I grew to love creating this character.   The Man-Servant is a human in the senior years of his life, who actually believes he runs Moonbeam Farm.

It’s been fun bringing these characters to life.  I’m now going to venture into creating more to be included in the book.  It’s a fun journey, and I hope you’ll enjoy it with us.

 

 

 

 

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

Roasted Brussels Sprouts & Chicken Salad

/ Jodi / 34 Comments

Roasted Brussels Sprouts & Chicken Salad.

On warm Summer days, salads are so great for dinner!

And there are so many fresh ingredients available to mix and match.

I had some fresh Brussels Sprouts and thought they might work great in a dinner salad.

They are so delicious roasted simply with olive oil, garlic powder, salt and pepper.

Then all you have to do is add your favorite greens to a bowl and top with some yummy, healthy additions of fruit and nuts and cheese and protein and more veggies.

The grand finale topping is the roasted Brussels sprouts and a drizzle of balsamic vinaigrette.  It is a full meal deal covering all the  bases!

Here’s the recipe for the way I made it, but feel free to mix and match and tweak it up to how you like.   Roasted Brussels sprouts are a great addition to any salad!

Roasted Brussels Sprouts & Chicken Salad

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb. Brussels sprouts
  • 2 Tbsp. olive oil
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • Salt & Pepper to taste
  • Chopped Romaine lettuce or your favorite mixed greens
  • 1/4 cup chopped carrots
  • 1/4 cup chopped walnuts (or almonds or pecans)
  • 1/4 cup golden raisins (or dried cranberries or cherries)
  • 1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese (or your favorite)
  • 1 grilled chicken breast, sliced
  • Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing (or your favorite)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Cut stems off Brussels sprouts, then cut into quarters.  In mixing bowl, combine Brussels sprouts, olive oil, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.  Pour into baking pan and roast approximately 25 minutes, stirring occasionally.

In a bowl, add lettuce.  On top of lettuce, add carrots, nuts, raisins, cheese, and chicken.  Top with a half cup of Roasted Brussels sprouts (or as many as you like – leftovers are always delish too!)

Pour dressing on top, then mix.

Enjoy!

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi2

Pink Dogwood Blossoms in Watercolor

/ Jodi / 34 Comments
Pink Dogwood Blossoms Watercolor - 11x14 140lb Cold Press Saunders

Pink Dogwood Blossoms Watercolor – 11×14 140lb Cold Press Saunders

Pink Dogwood Blossoms in Watercolor

As we begin the month of June and the warmth of Summer is upon us,
I celebrate the end of Spring with this painting of Pink Dogwood Blossoms.

We only have white dogwood trees in our yard, but they are very old.
I wonder about their history as they were here on the property for likely many years before we built our house on the wooded 3 1/2 acre plot we’ve called home for 17 years now.

Some have died and had to be cut down this Spring.  Makes me sad to see them go, but maybe we can replace them with some new pink ones.  Maybe the old white ones can share stories with the new pink ones.  Do you ever wonder if the trees and other things in nature communicate to each other?

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

Thanks Andrew Geeson for another inspiration Youtube tutorial!