acrylic

A Time For Change

/ Jodi / 63 Comments

A Time for Change – Abstract in Taupe 18×24 on Stretched Canvas

A Time for Change – Abstract in Taupe.

I’ve been working on this abstract acrylic painting on a stretched canvas for a few weeks.

I am having so much fun with this new medium.  It is such a liberating experience and also such a challenge.

Before ever painting, I would have thought works of art like this were “easy!”  Slap and splash some paint on a canvas and call it art.

But…..

If you’ve never tried, I challenge you to.

There really is more to it than you realize.

Composition…. Point of interest…  Balance….

But really when it all comes down to it…. Are you happy with it?  Do you like it?  Does it make you feel good?  Evoke emotions?

I have to admit…. This piece has been through so many iterations, I couldn’t decide if it was done.  I couldn’t decide if it was “worthy” to share.  I felt like I liked it, but I doubted myself, so I sent a picture of it to my youngest son, and asked:  “What are your thoughts?”

He liked it, but he reminded me I should not need affirmation of my own art.

How humbling is it when your kids have to remind you of how to be a confident adult?

And then again, what pride do we feel when our kids remind us of how to be a confident adult?

So here is my latest abstract – A Time for Change.

And I like it!

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

PS  This original painting is available (only one – no prints) at our McKinneyX2Designs ETSY shop if you like it too.

GOLDEN Artist Colors

 

Crossroads

/ Jodi / 65 Comments

Crossroads Original Abstract by Jodi McKinney 11×14 140lb Cold Press

Crossroads.

When we arrive at a crossroads,
it is an opportunity to let go of the past
and who we have been.

Which way will we go?
Who will we decide
we want to become?

This recent acrylic abstract painting I created is called Crossroads.

Lately, I am driven towards abstraction and experimenting with acrylics.
It is fun to try something new…
An opportunity to discover who I want to be.

And my art is helping me find me…
the direction I want to go
at a crossroads of life.

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

PS  This original painting as well as prints and note cards are available at McKinneyX2Designs on ETSY.   Hope you will take some time to browse our watercolor paintings, original art, and handmade rustic signs and decor.

Projecting Beauty

/ Jodi / 37 Comments

Projecting Beauty – 18×24 Acrylic Abstract on stretched canvas

Every baby is born beautiful.
It is what we project on them
that makes them ugly.

-Ruth in Small Great Things

Sharing this quote today from the book I’m reading that I mentioned yesterday –Small Great Things By Jodi Picoult.

The quote is spoken by a labor and delivery nurse, Ruth, talking about the most beautiful baby she has ever seen born.  The baby was born with severe birth defects that led to him not having a face.  A small mouth with one tooth was in the place of where an ear should have been and the face was just a mass of skin.  A student nurse screamed upon seeing him.  Ruth shared how she would never forget the transformation that occurred as a result of the love the mother, and eventually the father, projected onto this sweet baby for the short time they were blessed with his presence on earth.  The love in their eyes saw his beauty.  The love they projected on this baby made him beautiful.

This really spoke to me.  Of course there is the old adage that beauty is only skin deep, but isn’t it so true?  I have known people who were absolutely flawlessly attractive in physical appearance, but had such ugly hearts and souls that it blinded the beauty.  I also know people that aren’t necessarily physically attractive, but beauty just shines from them.  The beauty that is deep within their being. It just consumes the space that surrounds them.  And when you look at them, all you see is that beauty.

As parents (and grandparents), we have the power to project this beauty on our children.  We have the responsibility to teach them they are beautiful – not because of the color of their hair or skin or the shape of their bodies or the unique intricacies of their personal appearances… They are beautiful because they are loved for just exactly who they are.

Let us love our children by projecting beauty on them.  Let us teach our children to project beauty.

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

This painting is quite a diversion from my usual watercolor art.  I worked on it for a few days as a special housewarming gift for my oldest son and daughter-in-law, who just moved into their new home.  This abstract acrylic was inspired by the beautiful work of Osnad Tzadok.  I did it using a palette knife, paper towels, a spray bottle of water, and a brush for a few strokes.  All paint by Golden.  I may just want to stretch and try some more of this type of work.

I’m calling this painting “Projecting Beauty.”

The eARTh without ART is just…. “eh”

/ Jodi / 46 Comments
Acrylic Abstract Painting 16x20 Jodi McKinney

Acrylic Abstract Painting 16×20 Jodi McKinney

On a recent evening out with friends, we passed a little ‘hole-in-the-wall’ diner in the Bloomfield section of Pittsburgh that had a sign above it saying, “The earth without art is just ‘eh’.”  It caught our attention, and it has been in my mind ever since.

This crazy acrylic painting evolved over the course of several days.  While far from fine art, it was a fun, creative experiment.

It started out being blue and brown and white to match a recent bedroom redo.

The next day it became an ocean and sky scene… then back to an abstract the following day with drips of gold.

Around the fourth day, I decided it needed some red.  The red was too bold, so I added white to tone it down and “pink” it up a bit.

And on and on it went until I splattered white and tar gel with a toothbrush on and decided it was time to quit.

It has all kinds of crazy things going on over many layers, but there is something about it in the end that I kinda like.

Maybe because it reminds me that….
the earth without art is just “eh!”

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

 

But a Speck…

/ Jodi / 48 Comments
But A Speck Mixed Media 9 x 12 300# Arches Cold Press

“But a Speck” Mixed Media Watercolor 9×12 300# Arches Cold Press

This painting
I decided to feature
for the first day
of July

and the first day
of the first ever
World Watercolor Month

began as a field
of daisies
gone wrong….

So following the advice and experimentation
of my mad scientist artinista mentor, Laura,
at CreateArtEveryday

I slapped and slathered
white Gesso on top
and started over

feeling free
and loose
and creative.

I wanted to express
how I am but a speck,
in a huge universe

but a tiny speck
can also have
a rippling effect

that creates art
and magic
and joy
and beauty.

I am
but a speck.

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

 

This abstract watercolor mixed media piece was created using Brusho Watercolor Crystals in Black and Orange, Splatters of Rubbing Alcohol and water, hints of InkaGold and Golden Brand white acrylic, a straw, sunshine, and a free mind.

 

 

The Journey

/ Jodi / 67 Comments
abstract acrylic quinacridone magenta hansa yello indigo high flow on 6x6 aquaboard

“The Journey” Abstract Acrylic

The Journey

Difficult roads
might lead to
beautiful destinations.

Cherish the moments.

Enjoy the journey.

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

Celebrating Summer Solstice

/ Jodi / 71 Comments
Mixed Media watercolor and acrylic magenta and gold

Mixed Media watercolor and acrylic magenta and gold – “Summer Solstice” – 9×12 300lb Arches Cold Press

I was splashing around with my paints this past weekend and decided to try mixing it up a bit by starting with watercolor and throwing on some acrylic to create some mixed media.

I really had no idea where I was going with this when I started…  it simply evolved.

And then I realized maybe Mother Nature was speaking to me preparing me for the beginning of Summer Solstice which arrived in the Northern Hemisphere yesterday, June 20, 2016 at 6:34 pm EDT.

I think it started as a flower and ended up looking a bit like the sun – so I decided it is my Mixed Media Summer Solstice!

With summer beginning here, that means our friends in the Southern Hemisphere have just begun Winter Solstice, so may this piece be a reminder of warmth and flowers and sunshine to those entering or ending the season.

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

Wisdom in the Wind

/ Jodi / 66 Comments
wind in acrylics

Abstract Wind in Acrylic – 6×6

Wisdom in the Wind

Wherever you go…
carry seeds that spread and plant joy and beauty.

Recognize that some seasons call for soft and gentle whispers…
while others call us to blow strong and loud and bold.

And the same breath that creates a cool and gentle breeze
can also fuel a fire.

Realize that adjusting your sails
will allow you to sail smoothly and dance freely.

And when you aren’t sure what the question is,
consider that the answer just might be blowing in the wind.

This is my third and final in the series of Lessons from Nature.
It follows Reflections from the River, and Truths from the Tree.

The “art” above is my first attempt with Acrylic Paints after about a year of watercolor adventures.  I am still learning to master watercolor, and it is still my first love, but I’ve been itching to try Acrylic after seeing so much beauty created by other artist friends and the encouragement of Laura at CreateArtEveryday.    For this piece, I simply wanted to feel the paint and see how it moved, so I decided to create “Wind.”  It is done on a 6×6″ Aquaboard, and the beauty of that is, I can just wash it off and create something else over it.  I must admit, it was fun to be able to “over”work with acrylic paint and even add white!

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

#NatureDoodlewash