art

A Bumble Bee Named Buzz

/ Jodi / 57 Comments
Buzz the Bumble Bee 8x10 Watercolor 140lb Saunders Cold Press

Buzz the Bumble Bee 8×10 Watercolor 140lb Saunders Cold Press

A Bumble Bee Named Buzz.

On the edge of a meadow lives a bumble bee named Buzz.
He lives near his aunt and his uncle and his cuz.

Aunt Sally, Uncle Sam, and Sherman they was.
They love Buzz more than any other in Americas.

Sherman and Buzz love to play and dance because
It is what all the bumble bees in the meadow does.

So if you see dancing bees and think your eyes are a fuzz,
don’t be surprised if it’s Sherman and Buzz.

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

This is just one of a series of fun animal watercolor paintings and rhymes I am pursuing.

See the others:
A Rare Hare with Flare
A Duck Named Chuck
A Fawn at Dawn
Rooty the Rooster
A Precocious Pink Pig  
Hal the Colorful Cow
A Mouse named Klaus
Pam the Lamb
An Otterly Awesome Otter
Earl the Squirrel
Adele the Gazelle
A Snail’s Tale
Chippy the Chipmunk
Hedy the Hedgehog

#WorldWatercolorMonth

Watercolors Used:  Daniel Smith Cadmium Yellow, Cadmium Orange, Indigo, Perylene Violet, Permanent Rose, Olive Green, Perylene Green.

Hedy the Hedgehog

/ Jodi / 46 Comments
Hedy the Hedgehog Watercolor 8x10 140lb Arches Cold Press

Hedy the Hedgehog Watercolor 8×10 140lb Arches Cold Press

Hedy the Hedgehog

A sweet little hedgehog named Hedy
never wanted to go to beddy.

So when her Mom told her it was time to get ready,
she would ask for a piece of bready.

Some jam she would ask to be spready
to keep her belly all fedy.

When full, she would hug her Teddy
and into bed she would getty.

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

This is just one of a series of fun animal watercolor paintings and rhymes I am pursuing.

See the others:
A Rare Hare with Flare
A Duck Named Chuck
A Fawn at Dawn
Rooty the Rooster
A Precocious Pink Pig  
Hal the Colorful Cow
A Mouse named Klaus
Pam the Lamb
An Otterly Awesome Otter
Earl the Squirrel
Adele the Gazelle
A Snail’s Tale
Chippy the Chipmunk

#WorldWatercolorMonth

Red Rocks of Sedona in Watercolor

/ Jodi / 57 Comments
Red Rocks of Sedona Arizona from Chapel of the Holy Cross 8x10 Watercolor 140lb Arches Cold Press

Red Rocks of Sedona Arizona from Chapel of the Holy Cross 8×10 Watercolor 140lb Arches Cold Press

Red Rocks of Sedona in Watercolor.

In trying to keep up with practicing and posting a watercolor painting every other day for #WorldWatercolorMonth in July, I had a little bit of time last evening to give my first go at painting a very loose and quick landscape of a photo I took on our recent trip to Sedona, Arizona.

The photo was taken from a high spot right outside the Chapel of the Holy Cross, a beautiful Roman Catholic Chapel built into the buttes of Sedona.

Many have tried to capture the beauty of the red rocks of Sedona.  Many have succeeded FAR better than me!  But I truly don’t know that any photo or painting can do the extraordinary scenery of this majestic landscape justice.  It was fun trying.  It was fun remembering the day and our time with Jayme and Ryan.  It was fun simply splashing paint.

That’s what life in between is about…. having fun with that time doing what you love.

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

Colors Used:  Daniel Smith Raw Sienna, Indian Red, Permanent Red Deep, Olive Green, Sap Green, Perylene Green, Cerulean Blue

 

Chippy the Chipmunk

/ Jodi / 42 Comments
Chippy the Chipmunk Watercolor 8x10 140 lb Artistico Cold Press

Chippy the Chipmunk Watercolor 8×10 140 lb Artistico Cold Press

Chippy the Chipmunk

Down south in the state of Mississippi
lived a chipmunk whose name was Chippy.

Chippy was sometimes a bit lippy
especially when the air was nippy.

But his mom knew Chippy was not really drippy,
although he could be a little flippy.

Chippy was usually very zippy,
which made him mom say, “Yippee!”

“Chippy is the best zippy chippy
of all the zippy chippies in Mississippi!”

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi


This is just one of a series of fun animal watercolor paintings and rhymes I am pursuing.

See the others:
A Rare Hare with Flare
A Duck Named Chuck
A Fawn at Dawn
Rooty the Rooster
A Precocious Pink Pig  
Hal the Colorful Cow
A Mouse named Klaus
Pam the Lamb
An Otterly Awesome Otter
Earl the Squirrel
Adele the Gazelle
A Snail’s Tale

#WorldWatercolorMonth

 

Beauty in the Desert

/ Jodi / 43 Comments

Pink Flowering Cactus Watercolor - Beauty in the Desert - 5x7 140lb Arches Cold Press

Pink Flowering Cactus Watercolor – Beauty in the Desert – 5×7 140lb Arches Cold Press

Pink Flowering Cactus Watercolor – Beauty in the Desert.

On our recent trip to Arizona, I was really blown away by the beauty in the desert.

I’ve heard some say it is brown and dry and “ugly.”  I disagree.

Though it is so very different from the lush green that people who live in the Eastern U.S. are accustomed to, there is so much beauty in the foliage and the terrain.

Many of the cacti were blooming when we were there, and I was so drawn to the pink flowering ones.

Here is my version of Beauty in the Desert – a pink flowering cactus.

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

#WorldWatercolorMonth

#McKinneyX2Designs ETSY Shop

Paints used:  Rembrandt Quinacridone Rose, Daniel Smith Quinacridone Gold, Olive Green, and Perylene Green.

A Snail’s Tale

/ Jodi / 50 Comments

Snail Tale Gail Watercolor 8x10 140lb Arches Cold Press

Snail Tale Gail Watercolor 8×10 140lb Arches Cold Press

A Snail’s Tale.

Slithering along the rust-colored earth and shale,
a beautifully bright snail
whose name was Gail
set sail.

Gail was on her way to a sale –
she hoped she would make it without fail,
but it really was to no avail…
Do you know how slow a snail does travail?

But who needs to fight tooth and nail
when you already blaze a trail
that is off the scale…?
Look at you Gail  – you will prevail!

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

This is one of a series of fun animal watercolor paintings and rhymes I am pursuing.
See the others:
A Rare Hare with Flare
A Duck Named Chuck
A Fawn at Dawn
Rooty the Rooster
A Precocious Pink Pig  
Hal the Colorful Cow
A Mouse named Klaus
Pam the Lamb
An Otterly Awesome Otter
Earl the Squirrel
Adele the Gazelle

PS – This one is for you Dena! 🙂

Painting inspired by the beautiful work of Tilen Ti

Splashing in Quinacridone Rose & Gold

/ Jodi / 41 Comments
Quinacridone Rose Abstract Floral Watercolor - 8x10 on 140lb Arches Cold Press

Quinacridone Rose Abstract Floral Watercolor – 8×10 on 140lb Arches Cold Press

Splashing in Quinacridone Rose and Gold.

A little diversion from my recent watercolor animal rhyme series back to one of my favorite things to paint – loose, abstract, impressionistic florals!

I broke out my brand new 20ml tube of Royal Talens Rembrandt Artist Quality Watercolor Quinacridone Rose that I won for FREE from Charlie at Doodlewash for #WorldWatercolorMonth.  It was just one of 15 amazingly huge, juicy, luscious 20ml tubes, along with 3 beautiful bottles of Ecoline Liquid Watercolor Paint and 4 markers that I will have hours of fun playing with.

Quinacridones are a favorite of mine.  For this painting, I used three colors, Quin Rose, Quin Gold, and Olive Green (DS) in some big and some small layers and bubbles and strokes.

Oh what fun it was, and I kinda love how it turned out.  This one is going into our McKinneyX2Designs ETSY shop, where I sell original paintings, prints, and cards, and my daughter-in-law, Colleen, makes fun and beautiful rustic signs and decor for the home from reclaimed pallet wood.  (Feel free to check it out and help us spread the word!  And as a thank you from us – if you refer a friend who places an order and lets us know they were referred from your name via the blog, we’ll send you a free box of cards – your choice!  AND if you place an order and let us know you saw it here, we’ll also send you a free box of cards along with your order!)

Thanks again, Charlie, and Royal Talens North America for the beautiful Rembrandt Paints!  I LOVE the Quinacridone Rose and find it to be as lovely as my Daniel Smith and Winsor Newton versions of the same color.

Can’t wait to experiment with more!

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

P.S. If you’d like to learn more about Royal Talens North America, who was so extremely generous with this beautiful gift, join me in signing up for their newsletter HERE!

Adele the Gazelle

/ Jodi / 41 Comments
Adele the Gazelle Watercolor 8x10 140lb Arches Cold Press

Adele the Gazelle Watercolor 8×10 140lb Arches Cold Press

Adele the Gazelle
was quite the bombshell.

She had the most magnificent smell,
it was almost as if she cast a magic spell.

Though most gazelles are not permitted to fly,  Adele was one you could not tell.
She simply believed it a myth she must and would dispel.

So after her jet flight and arrival at the airport in Nevel,
she proceeded directly to slide down the luggage carousel.

She bid her traveling friends farewell,
and headed northwest towards her hotel.

And when she rang the desk’s silver bell,
you should have seen the personnel!

But then they smelled Adele so swell,
as the stories go that they do tell,

And just like magic, they knew full well,
they, too, were under her incredible spell.

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

This is one of a series of fun animal watercolor paintings and rhymes I am pursuing.
See the others:
A Rare Hare with Flare
A Duck Named Chuck
A Fawn at Dawn
Rooty the Rooster
A Precocious Pink Pig  
Hal the Colorful Cow
A Mouse named Klaus
Pam the Lamb
An Otterly Awesome Otter
Earl the Squirrel

#WorldWatercolorMonth

Earl the Squirrel

/ Jodi / 59 Comments

Earl the Squirrel Watercolor 8×10 140lb Arches Cold Press

Earl the Squirrel. 

On the edge of the forest lived a squirrel named Earl.
He had a sister, whose name was Pearl.

The two of them loved to dance and twirl,
especially when visiting their cousin, Cheryl.

They sometimes ate ice cream cones of chocolate and vanilla swirl
that were tipped on the top with a frosty curl.

But more often they caught an acorn or berry that was hurled
on a branch or the trunk of a tree that was burled.

Their tails were fluffy but they kept them at a furl
in case they would have to run and scutter and whirl.

Which was often the case when a dog named Merle
chased them back to the edge of their world.

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

This is one of a series of fun animal watercolor paintings and rhymes I am pursuing.
See the others:
A Rare Hare with Flare
A Duck Named Chuck
A Fawn at Dawn
Rooty the Rooster
A Precocious Pink Pig  
Hal the Colorful Cow
A Mouse named Klaus
Pam the Lamb
An Otterly Awesome Otter

The background blue on this painting was done using my new Rembrandt Series 3 Artist Quality Cerulean Blue Watercolor Paint I WON for FREE from Charlie at Doodlewash for #WorldWatercolorMonth.  Thanks Charlie!  I’ll be trying more of the wonderful colors soon.

Earl the Squirrel was inspired by my loyal TheCreativeLifeinBetween.com blog-following friends, Ellen and Benjamin.

Distant Memories

/ Jodi / 55 Comments
A Distant Ship from Shore Watercolor

A Distant Ship from Shore Watercolor

Distant memories.

I’m not much of a landscape artist.
I try, and I struggle, but I’m going to keep on trying.

One day I was practicing skies and clouds as a warm-up,
and came up with this super quick, simple little study.

It just kind of turned into a beach scene
with sea and sand and tall grasses.

It reminds me of lazy summer family vacations spent
when the boys were young (and so were we!)

It reminds me of Nagshead and Corolla and the Outer Banks in North Carolina.
It reminds me of Myrtle Beach and Hilton Head in South Carolina.

It reminds me of Ocean City, New Jersey and Maryland.
Of hot sand and cool breezes and refreshing, salty water.

Distant, joy-filled memories
like this distant ship from shore.

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

#WorldWatercolorMonth