art

Dance with Your Heart

/ Jodi / 72 Comments

Dance with Your Heart Pink Ballerina 11×14 140lb Cold Press

Dance with your Heart.
Your feet will follow.

There is something so fun about painting ballerinas.

I came across this idea and painting demonstration by Julie Hyde that uses cling wrap to create an ethereal effect of movement to the ballerina’s skirt.

Using a wet on wet technique, you apply crinkled cling wrap to the wet paint.  After allowing it to dry thoroughly, when you lift the cling wrap, a beautiful texture is created.

I also bought a book by an artist I recently discovered  – Ann Blockley, called Experimental Landscapes in Watercolor.  She also uses cling wrap and salt and ink and other various techniques to create dramatic expressive and interpretive landscapes.  I’m looking forward to trying out some new ideas from that.

In the meantime, I hope you will dance….

with your heart, with paint, while baking, while working….

whatever it is you are doing.

And Cherish the Moments.

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

 

 

Imagine it Real

/ Jodi / 70 Comments
Soft Spring Bunny Watercolor 8x10

Soft Spring Bunny Watercolor 8×10

Everything
that is real
was imagined
first.

The Velveteen Rabbit

I “real”ly enjoyed
painting this
soft Spring bunny
with a bright, hopeful eye.

I never would have
“imagined”
just a couple years ago
that I could possibly
consider myself an
artist.

Imagine
it
Real.

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

Red Crimson Abstract Flower Watercolor

/ Jodi / 52 Comments
Red Crimson Abstract Floral Watercolor 11x14 140 lb coldpress

Red Crimson Abstract Floral Watercolor 11×14 140 lb coldpress

Red Crimson Abstract Floral Watercolor.

I was reading a blog post by one of my favorite artist bloggers, Debi Riley, where she discussed a technique where she starts her watercolor painting with white….

White!

Those that know a little bit about watercolor painting know using white is almost taboo – as the goal is to “preserve” the white by not painting where you want white/light to remain.  Which, by the way, is a constant challenge, but one that makes watercolor so exciting!

So Debi talked about applying a wet white wash down first and allowing another color to merge into it while it is still damp.  The white paint acts like a soft velvety foundation that the other paints react to in beautiful ways.

I first tried it just on a small 6×9 scrap piece of paper, and then I made three large 11×14 versions (the first two of which were torn up for more scrap practices).  I rather liked how this one turned out, and I want to play more……  more with these colors and more with others.  Such a fun, different way to watercolor!

Paints used for this were Daniel Smith Alizarin Crimson, Indigo, and New Gamboge, along with Winsor & Newton White Gouache.

I first spritzed my paper lightly and randomly with water.  I then painted on some white gouache with a large brush in bold strokes that resembled flower “petals.”  I then dropped in Alizarin Crimson and dragged it a bit in similar flower petal strokes.  I then lightly spritzed again to create movement, and I moved my paper around a bit.  I then dropped in some new gamboge and indigo and lightly spritzed again.  Then the hard part…. wait…. wait… wait – and don’t fiddle.  Walk away and allow it to do it’s own blending while drying.  A couple hours later, I returned to it and saw the fun blooms and splashes created by all the water on the paper.  I added a few more touches of indigo to darken, splashed a teensy bit of crimson, and called it a painting.

What do you think?

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

 

A Bouquet of Love

/ Jodi / 42 Comments
Heart Bouquet of Love Watercolor

Heart Bouquet of Love Watercolor

A Bouquet of Love.

If I could pick the perfect bouquet,
I’d pick a bouquet of love.

It would be filled with memories of special kisses…
a first from a shy young man who I still get to kiss goodnight each evening before falling asleep,
a first on the forehead and nose and cheeks and mouth of each of my baby boys the day they were born,
a first on the forehead and nose and cheeks and mouth of my granddaughter the day she was born,
the last one I gave my grandma when we said our final goodbyes,
the ones I watched each of my sons give to their wives on the days they said “I do.”

It would be filled with memories of special hugs…
that one my dad gave me when we first saw each other after almost 40 years apart,
the one his wife  gave me the day she met me and told me my dad always promised her a daughter, and now she had one,
the ones I receive and give upon greeting and saying farewell to friends and family I love so dearly.

It would be filled with memories of cherished moments…
those every day moments –
a text, a Snapchat, a phone call, a visit,
walks with Charlie,
sunrises, sunsets, snowfalls, birds tweeting,
a card or letter or package received.

So as I spent just a teensy bit of spare time last evening
doodling and splashing paint to create a simple, inspired* Valentine,
I created a bouquet of love.

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

*Pinterest inspired watercolor – source unknown

Orange Flowers for Benjamin

/ Jodi / 69 Comments

Orange Flowers for Benjamin 11×14 Watercolor 140lb Cold Press

Orange Flowers for Benjamin.

Some of you may remember my little friend Benjamin.  He is the sweet little guy, who reads my blog with his “Gem” most every day and was a huge inspiration to me in writing my book, Klaus the Mouse, and other Silly Animal Animal Tales (available on Amazon here).

Well, the other day when I posted my Blue Reflections painting, Benjamin told Gem,  “It is a pretty blue picture, but can my Jodi do orange too?”

Apparently, orange is Benjamin’s favorite color.  So, though I didn’t do the same painting in orange, I did paint some orange flowers I hope my Benjamin will enjoy when he visits here with Gem next week.

Orange is such a happy, cheerful color!

According to Color Wheel Pro:

Orange combines the energy of red and the happiness of yellow. It is associated with joy, sunshine, and the tropics. Orange represents enthusiasm, fascination, happiness, creativity, determination, attraction, success, encouragement, and stimulation.

To the human eye, orange is a very hot color, so it gives the sensation of heat. Nevertheless, orange is not as aggressive as red. Orange increases oxygen supply to the brain, produces an invigorating effect, and stimulates mental activity. It is highly accepted among young people. As a citrus color, orange is associated with healthy food and stimulates appetite. Orange is the color of fall and harvest. In heraldry, orange is symbolic of strength and endurance.

Orange has very high visibility, so you can use it to catch attention and highlight the most important elements of your design.

Well…. no wonder my Benjamin loves orange!

Wishing you all an “orange” kinda day!

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

This painting and others available at McKinneyx2Designs.

A Winter Warbler Watercolor

/ Jodi / 56 Comments

Yellow (rumped) Warbler in Winter Watercolor 11×14 140 lb cold press

A Winter Warbler Watercolor

I was looking at some beautiful photos on Mike Powell’s Photography Blog the other day of a fluffy little yellow-rumped warbler he spotted eating berries in the frigid winter weather at the Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Reserve in Virginia this month.

He was so cute, I asked Mike if I could paint one of his photos.  He kindly obliged.  My watercolor doesn’t do justice to the beauty of the bird or the magnificent shot Mike caught, but it was fun to do.  It’s been a while since I painted a bird.  And this little guy had his fluffiest coat on in the frigid temperatures we’ve been experiencing in the Northeast part of the United States lately, which made him just too irresistible for me to resist.

Thanks for giving me a shot at him Mike, and I hope you all might find some time to  check out Mike’s lovely photography blog.   And if you really love bird photos, you must also check out Kathy’s blog at Backyard Bird Nerd.  Kathy has the best backyard birds I’ve ever seen.  She claims one of her secrets is the bark butter.  I think every bird on the planet would like to live in Kathy’s backyard!

Enjoy!

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

 

Blue Reflections

/ Jodi / 69 Comments

Blue Reflections Watercolor – Cerulean and Indigo – 11×14 140lb cold press

Blue Reflections.

Baby boys turned into men.
The future in my granddaughter’s eyes.
The color of the ice caps over Mount Denali.
The color of the sea in St. Marten.
Scoring Boardwalk and Park Place in Monopoly.
Moonlight and starlight in the forest.
Dipping soft sable hair into cerulean and indigo watercolor.
Blue reflections creating magic.

I so enjoyed creating this watercolor painting! I splashed a bit and walked away for a while. I came back and added some more, and walked away again.  And then I did it again.  It was so exciting to come back and see what magic happened, and I so love how it turned out.  When I look at it, I think blue…. and memories flood my heart.

And I smile.

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

Roses can be Blue

/ Jodi / 66 Comments

Blue Rose Watercolor 8×10 140lb cold press

Roses can be blue
when in watercolor you do.
Painting is so sweet
when art reveals such a treat.

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

Don’t Quit Your Daydream

/ Jodi / 65 Comments

Don’t Quit Your Daydream.

It may be just what gets you through the day.

Travel in your mind on sunbeams and moonbeams
to bright and breathtaking destinations of wonderment.

Soar by the wings of your seeking soul
among the twinkling stars and zooming comets.

Give your heart swift, light feet
to scamper through golden fields and slide on frozen streams.

Swing freely in the balmy breeze among blue butterflies
fluttering through clouds made of cotton candy and snow cones.

Some say “Don’t Quit Your Day Job,”
but I say “Don’t Quit Your Daydream!”

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

 

A Watercolor Sunflower – Painting Warmth

/ Jodi / 66 Comments
Sunflower Watercolor 11x14 140 lb cold press 012018

Sunflower Watercolor 11×14 140 lb cold press 012018

A Watercolor Sunflower – Painting Warmth.

I found a little time this busy weekend
to escape to my art room
and splash a little paint…

to create some warmth
amidst the bitter chill
that is our weather right now…

inspired by my birthday bouquet
and the need to
create art.

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

 

This watercolor painting – original, prints, and cards – is available at McKinneyX2Designs ETSY Shop