Templeton the Tiger

/ Jodi / 67 Comments
Watercolor Tiger 9 x 11 300lb Fabriano Artistico

Watercolor Templeton the Tiger 9 x 11 300lb Fabriano Artistico

It all started with the joy of Genevieve the Giraffe…

After her, the call of elephants led to Momma and Baby Elephant.

As I continue on my imaginary watercolor safari journey, today I present Templeton the Tiger.

I actually painted Templeton outside this past weekend one morning when the air was still cool and the sun was’t very strong yet on the back deck.

It was fun being outside dreaming of a safari I hope I someday get to go on while I paint the characters that are in my mind.

Why stop dreaming when you wake?

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

Charlie’s Walkabout: A Charlie Guestpost

/ Jodi / 62 Comments

charlies walkabout

We have the most amazing wilderness behind our home.

It is an area I am not allowed to go to by myself.

You may recall those horrifying orange flags my Mom and Dad put up about a year ago when I moved in….  Well… I DO NOT go past that area where they used to be on my own – EVER!  The flags are gone, but I have not forgotten where they were, and I remember they represent “Charlie’s Yard!”

The only way I go outside of “Charlie’s Yard” is when Mom puts a leash on me, and we go for a walk.

Now, I am getting better and better at coming when Mom calls – even when I am outside “Charlie’s Yard” and not on the leash, so sometimes I am allowed to walk on my own outside “Charlie’s Yard” – but ONLY after we go through the “boundary line” with the leash on.  That is the only way it is safe.

So yesterday, being that it was a holiday and all, I got to go on TWO wonderful walks outside “Charlie’s Yard.”  After our long walk with my buddy, Jager and his Mom Tracy in the morning, Mom took me on a hike in the wild and wonderful woods behind our home.

And guess what?  She let me loose to run and sniff and explore at my own pace.  Oh was it F U N!  We were having so much fun that when Mom was ready to go back to “Charlie’s Yard,” I decided I wasn’t ready.

Mom, trusting “sucker” that she is, walked ahead believing I wouldn’t be far behind.  But guess what?  When she wasn’t looking, I decided to turn around and explore some more.  Mom went back in “Charlie’s Yard” (remember I told you she is a bit of a “sucker”) believing I wouldn’t be far behind.  She kept saying, “CHARLIE!”  “Come On!”

Then she would throw this guilt trip in:  “Good Boys Come!”

HA!

I am loose.

I am free.

I am in the wild and wonderful wilderness where the deer and the squirrels and the turkey play.  And oh they smell so good!

So I decided it was time to go on a little “walkabout.”

All…

by…

Myself!

Mom waited a bit, called everyone once in a while, and then headed back into the wilderness, where I believe I heard her grumbling under her breath something about somebody being in trouble if she had to come after them or something like that.

I continued to explore.

After all, it was a holiday.

And she and my Dad were gone away for almost a week in which she did NOT take me for walks…

After a while, she couldn’t find me, so she gave up.  I was there all along, but I just wasn’t ready yet so I kinda hid from her.

Mom gave up and headed back home.

She looked a little bit sad,

and I have to admit I felt a bit bad.

So when she was almost back in “Charlie’s Yard,” I decided to come back.

“Here I am Mom!”

She turned around, and – voila! – there I was!

She looked so glad to see me.  I think she wanted to be a little mad, but she was just glad.

We walked into the house, and I flopped down on the floor and took a rest right there in the hallway.  It was so cool and peaceful.

Walkabouts are great, but there’s no place like home.

Don’t you agree?

Woofs & Wags,
Charlie

Charlie is an adopted dog with brown eyes and a white-tipped tail who brings joy and laughter to his family and friends.  Charlie is a gifted writer, raving food critic, cat, chipmunk, and donut lover, and exceptionally photogenic model.  Some of his best friends are Mike theUPS Man, Cliff the Mailman, and ANYONE who delivers pizza to the house.   If you would like to read more guest posts by Charlie, simply type “Charlie” into the Search box at the top right hand corner of this link: thecreativelifeinbetween.com.   If you would enjoy a companion like Charlie, please consider pet adoption.

My Favorite Cocktail: Dirty Martini

/ Jodi / 38 Comments

Dirty Martini

Happy Labor Day in the USA!

In honor of this day to relax,
and celebrate,
and take a break from work,

I thought I’d share one of my favorite cocktails.

If I’m not drinking a dry red wine,
my favorite adult beverage of choice is gin.

And when I really want to celebrate it’s
Hendrick’s Gin – a lovely Scottish gin infused with rose and cucumber.

And when it is the end of a vacation,
a holiday weekend,
and after 5pm (which it was when I had this yesterday),

I adore a Hendrick’s Dirty Martini
with gigantic green spanish olives
stuffed with tangy blue cheese.

Food and drink can be an art form
when prepared with the utmost detail,
and that is how I prepare this special cocktail.

Here’s my recipe if you are an olive, gin, blue cheese lover like me.

If not, what is your favorite cocktail to celebrate with?

Jodi's Hendrick's Dirty Martini

  • Servings: 1 Cocktail
  • Print

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 (or so) shots of Henrick’s Gin
  • Splash of Vermouth (or not)
  • 3 large Spanish olives
  • Splash of olive juice
  • 1 Tbsp. fine bleu cheese

Directions:

Stuff 3 large olives with bleu cheese and skewer with large tooth pick.

In a shaker full of ice, add Gin and Vermouth (or not), and shake vigorously to chill.

Strain and pour into martini glass, add olive juice and stuffed olive skewer.  Enjoy!

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

A Pretty Plenteous Pink Peony

/ Jodi / 53 Comments
Watercolor Pink Peony on 16 x 20 Canvas

Watercolor Pink Peony on 16 x 20 Canvas

Another thing I couldn’t wait to do after being away last week was paint!  I was just dying to splash with my watercolor.

Not to mention the fact that I got to actually visit a real live Blick Art Supply Store in Atlanta!  I have never been in one and almost fainted when I spotted it on a trolley tour I was taking one day while hubby was “conferencing.”

The next day, first thing on my list was an Uber ride to visit.  Oh what fun I had examining the super soft, beautifully handmade pure squirrel hair French Isabey brushes.  I bought two – a #4 Cat’s Tongue and a #4 Flat.  I used the Cat’s Tongue to do the entire painting above.

I often wondered how people watercolor on canvas, which is made for oil and acrylic.  Imagine my excitement when I discovered tubs of QoR Cold Press Ground – a pasty substance you can slather on most anything with a palette knife to create a surface that has the appearance of rough handmade watercolor paper and reacts lovely to watercolor!  I couldn’t wait to try it out – so covered an inexpensive 16×20 canvas with it, let it “cure” overnight and used my newest color  – the glorious Opera Rose, mixed with Permanent Rose and a bit of Quinacridone Magenta, Quinacridone Gold and Green Gold to create my pretty plenteous pink peony.

I bought some other goodies I’m looking forward to trying out that I don’t even know what to do with yet, but I’ll be sure to share when I do.

The greatest thing about the store was they matched all prices on the web too with my Blick Preferred Customer card.  The service was great, and the experience was wonderful.  The only thing that dragged me out of there was the call from my friends who said it was time to meet them at the World of Coca-Cola Museum (where I may or may not have bought an adorable polar bear hoodie for my soon-to-arrive granddaughter).

It was a lovely visit to Atlanta, but it’s always good to be home sweet home, baking and painting and doing all the things I love at life… in… between.

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

 

Chunky Homemade Granola

/ Jodi / 23 Comments

Chunky Homemade Granola 0

I was itching to get back in the kitchen and make something after almost a week away.

Chunky Homemade Granola 1

And after a week of indulging, I thought I’d make something a bit healthy, but yummy to have on hand for the coming week.

chunky homemade granola 3

Homemade granola it was, and oh how yummy too!  Made with healthy ingredients like oats and nuts and dried fruits and held together with raw local honey and coconut oil, this recipe is delish just as is, but also delicious as a cereal with some extra fresh fruit like blueberries,

chunky homemade granola 4

or on top of Greek yogurt with some fresh fruit like blackberries!

chunky homemade granola 5

It also makes a lovely hostess or nice “thinking of you” gift in a clear bag with a pretty bow.

chunky homemade granola 2

It’s as simple as mixing everything together, packing it into a baking sheet, and baking.

Hope you’ll give it a try.  Enjoy!

Chunky Homemade Granola

  • Servings: a large batch!
  • Print

Ingredients:Chunky Homemade Granola 0

  • 1/3 cup raw local honey
  • 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
  • 2 Tbsp brown sugar
  • 4 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 cup coconut oil
  • 5 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
  • 1 cup walnuts, chopped
  • 1 cup raw cashews or almonds, chopped (I used cashews)
  • 1 1/2 cups dried fruit of your choice
    • I used:
      • 1/2 cup dried cranberries
      • 1/2 cup dried blueberries
      • 1/2 cup dried tart cherries
    • You could also use:  raisins, dates, apricots, goji berries, coconut, or any other dried fruit you like

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

Whisk honey, maple syrup, brown sugar, vanilla, salt, and oil in a large bowl.

Add the oats and nuts, and stir until well coated and incorporated.  Add dried fruit and combine well.

Pour and spread mixture evenly onto a jelly roll sized  baking stone or parchment-lined baking sheet and pack down to compress.

Bake for 30 minutes until lightly browned.  Cool at least one hour in pan.

Break into pieces of your desired size, and store in airtight container.

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

*recipe adapted from Foolproofliving

Alleys In Between

/ Jodi / 33 Comments

alley marietta georgia

Alley at Marietta Square, Marietta, Georgia

On a recent visit to Atlanta, Georgia,
I visited the quaint town of Marietta.

Marietta Square
was so lovely.

Quaint little shoppes
with names like Lizards and Lollipops

where hubby and I giggled over stuffed pink owls
and old-fashioned toys,

and shared our excitement
for the upcoming birth of our first grandchild

while sipping peach tea
and frozen lemonade.

And I strolled through the most beautiful art museum
where local artisans displayed their heart and passion and craft

with the only criterion for this annual Metro Montage juried exhibition
being American citizenship,

but where I saw art that touched my heart even deeper
than the beautiful Monets

I had the privilege of viewing
at the Atlanta High Museum of Art only the day before.

The antique shoppes drew me in
with their charm and smell and nostalgia.

And we traversed the railroad track
envisioning the hustle and bustle

of the train station
that once was

where kisses and hugs
and waves goodbye

were followed by tears of joy and sorrow,
and dreams were created and shattered.

But the things that drew me in most
were the alley ways

where real life
happens.

Where shoppe owners
and restaurant chefs
and museum directors
do what they need to do

so we can enjoy
the things they have to share.

It’s that “in-between stuff”
that always draws me in.

The lives, the stories,
the struggles, the triumphs.

The day-to-day moments
that make it all real,

that make it all charming,
that make it all worth cherishing.

The in between alleys
that create our lives.

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

People, Places, and Memories

/ Jodi / 23 Comments
Atlanta Ferris Wheel

Centennial Olympic Park, Atlanta, GA

The best things in life
are the people we love,
the places we’ve been,
and the memories we make along the way.

What’s not to love about a city with a ferris wheel right in the middle?

Thanks for the great memories Atlanta.

#IMSA 2016

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

Seek the magic

/ Jodi / 44 Comments
jelly fish georgia aquarium

Jelly Fish – Georgia Aquarium

It magically floats
creating beauty
and light

in the depths
and darkness.

Glowing
with hope
and inspiring

the possiblility
that magic

can be created
and can happen
anywhere

Seek the magic.

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

 

 

Two Possibilities

/ Jodi / 36 Comments

morning dew on the window

Two possibilities exist:

either we are alone in the Universe

or we are not.

Both are equally terrifying.

-Arthur C. Clark

Deep thought to ponder isn’t it?

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

Momma and Baby Elephant in Watercolor

/ Jodi / 71 Comments
Elephant Mom and Baby Watercolor 10x12 Fabriano Artistico 300lb

Mom and Baby Elephant Watercolor 10×12 Fabriano Artistico 300lb

I think I must have an African Safari on the brain…

Oh how I would LOVE to do that!  Maybe some day.

But for now, I’m just painting my Safari.

I had so much fun doing Genevieve the Giraffe in watercolor last week, that it gave me a desire to try elephants.

I wanted to try a different technique, so I followed some techniques that Lian Quan Zhen masterfully executes and I feebly attempted here.

For this painting, I drew my elephants from a reference photo, used a bit of frisket to save some white, and I then actually poured and splashed some watercolor paint on, blowing it and pushing and smooshing it around with my finger to form a colorful abstract background.  After that dried, I detailed in the elephants.

I used only three colors in the entire painting:  Prussian Blue, Pyrrol Scarlet, and Hansa Yellow Light.  Purples and greens and shades of black and gray and brown and pink and orange are all achieved by the blending of these three colors.

It was fun, and I’ll have to enjoy the elephants this way until I get to go on the safari in real life some day.

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi