artist

Pouring Creativity

/ Jodi / 69 Comments

My art room lately

Pouring Creativity.

In case you’ve wondered what I’ve been doing in my spare time……..

I’ve been mixing…

and pouring…

and twisting…

and turning…

and splashing color…

and creating….

and exploring imagination…

and learning new ways…

to create and express…

and stretching to larger sizes….

and bigger messes that are worth the paint in my finger nails and on my clothes!


and these special pieces for a sweet granddaughter’s room….


and another coming soon.

Yep – I’ve been painting and having so much fun exploring this abstract medium.

And I can’t wait to make more!

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

PS  If you are interested in purchasing any of these except for the last two, they are for sale in our McKinneyX2Designs ETSY shop.

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

 

My New Yellow Rubber Boots

/ Jodi / 58 Comments

My New Yellow Rubber Boots Watercolor 8×10

My New Yellow Rubber Boots.

It was great to get to spend some time in my art studio this weekend after getting through a handful of “have-to-do” tasks.

After recently painting some loose portrait-type figure paintings like this and this, I felt inspired to try some more “character” type illustrative work.  I was inspired by some beautiful work I found on Instagram done by an artist in the Netherlands, Marleen Kleiberg.

My granddaughter got her first little pair of yellow rubber boots from the Easter Bunny last week, and even though they were two sizes too big, she fell in love with them.   Her Mommy sent a picture on Easter morning of her wearing her new boots.  She was decked out in a denim ruffle-bottomed top and peach/orange knit leggings with a matching bow in her hair (and a mouthful of jelly beans!).

I used some artistic liberty to create this painting, but Pap Pap and Mommy and Daddy knew just who it was when I showed them, and got a kick out of it.

A little over a year ago, I painted this little portrait of her.  I can’t believe how much she has grown and changed in a year!

Oh the joy this little one brings to my world!  And what a fun subject to inspire paintings.

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

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.

Keep Searching

/ Jodi / 44 Comments
Snowy Rose of Sharon Seed Pods March 2018 Mars PA

Snowy Rose of Sharon Seed Pods March 2018 Mars PA

Keep Searching.

Some days
we have to

look a lot
harder

to find
the beauty.

But it
is there.

Keep
searching.

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

PS.  I watched a documentary yesterday that touched me deeply – Heaven is a Traffic Jam on the 405.  It was recommended by an art blogger friend, Ann Christina, from Germany.  It also won an Academy Award this year for Best Documentary Short Subject.  It is a story of mental illness, depression, love, and the healing power of art.

Mindy Alper is a tortured and brilliant 56 year old artist who is represented by one of Los Angeles’ top galleries. Acute anxiety, mental disorder and devastating depression have caused her to be committed to mental institutions, undergo electro shock therapy, and survive a 10-year period without the ability to speak. Her hyper self-awareness has allowed her to produce a lifelong body of work that expresses her emotional state with powerful psychological precision. Through interviews, reenactments, the building of an eight and a half foot papier-mache’ bust of her beloved psychiatrist, and examining drawings made from the time she was a child, we learn how she has emerged from darkness and isolation to a life that includes love, trust and support.

I watched this on YouTube and originally shared the link, but then found that it was removed from YouTube for a copyright infringement.  I hope you have a chance to find and see this touching film.  If anyone can let us know via comment where it is available to view, I would appreciate.

A Special Sunflower in Honor of Baby’s Namesake

/ Jodi / 43 Comments
Sunflower Watercolor 11x14 140lb Saunders Waterford

Sunflower Watercolor 11×14 140lb Saunders Waterford

A Special Sunflower in Honor of Baby’s Namesake.

Last Wednesday I posted a Yellow Rose Watercolor and told you about a special baby we just welcomed into the world and our extended family who is named after her two great grandmothers.

One great grandmother’s favorite flower was yellow roses.   The other’s favorite was sunflowers.

I tried to create this sunflower in a similar style and using many of the same colors as the yellow rose so they might look nice hanging together in baby’s room.

I hope her mommy likes this one and our little girl will have these as keepsakes throughout her life representing her special name and a special love I have for her and her family.

Though I sell most of my art in prints and note cards, these two paintings will be be one of a kind for this little one, with the exception of one print being made for each grandmother in remembrance of their mother.

Welcome to the world our newest little McHendy!  Love and be Loved!

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

 

Interested to see other art?

www.mx2d.com
Berry Vine Gifts Artisan

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

The Happy Flower

/ Jodi / 54 Comments
sunny-sunflower-watercolor-11x14-artistico-ex-wh-300lb-soft

sunny-sunflower-watercolor-11×14-artistico-ex-wh-300lb-soft

“As an artist, I’d choose the thing that’s beautiful more than the one that’s true.”

–Laurie Anderson, Composer, Singer, and Performance Artist

Sunflowers are happy flowers – aren’t they?
They are sunny and bright and cheerful.

I painted this version of a sunflower – that may not really look like a sunflower to you – but I fell in love with.  And I rarely say that about my own art, so it is super exciting for me.

It is 11×14 and painted on the most glorious Fabriano Artistico 300lb “Soft” paper that is so cottony soft and buttery, I love to just feel it!

When I came upon this quote by Laurie Anderson, it so resonated with my feelings about art.  I would choose beautiful over true too.

I choose to paint what I love and feel is beautiful over an exact likeness.  I can take a photo if I want an exact likeness. (And I do so admire artists who can create exact likeness with paint and brushes – don’t get me wrong – it’s just not where I find my joy – at least right now.)  But to create a feeling of beauty, that is what I choose to love about painting.

Happy Day!

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

A Hummingbird in Watercolor – Draw A Bird Day

/ Jodi / 74 Comments
hummingbird watercolor 8 x 10 300# Arches Cold Press

Hummingbird Watercolor 8 x 10 300# Arches Cold Press

For #DrawABirdDay this month, I decided to paint a Hummingbird – the smallest bird of all.

I adore the sweet little hummers that visit our backyard every summer.

I take special care to assure their feeder is full of fresh nectar each week as I know they count on and need it to support their ultra-fast metabolism.  I have read that their heart rate can reach as high as 1,260 beats per minute, and they have a breathing rate of 250 beats per minute, even at rest.  During flight, oxygen consumption per gram of muscle tissue is about ten times higher than that measured in elite human athletes.

Amazingly, these tiny birds fly all the way from Mars, PA to Mexico, the Caribbean Islands or Central America every winter and return each Spring.

After I painted this, I realized I had painted one about a year ago, shortly after I took up watercolor.  I recall thinking my hummer was one of my best paintings I had done at the time as I had only been painting for a few months.  Looking back, I still like it, and I am also surprised at how different the two look.  I can’t decide which I like better.  I question if my art has even improved over the past year.

One thing is for sure, the splatter is one thing I have always loved!  🙂  I believe my strokes are more confident, my use of white space more defined, and my splatters a bit more refined and controlled.

Another thing I know for sure….  I am having FUN!  Painting to me is relaxing.  It is a way to unwind after a stressful workday or energize an early morning.

If you have ever thought about giving watercolor or any kind of painting a try, DO IT!  Discover that inner artist just bursting to express your individual creativity.  You will never have a dull, boring moment again in your life.  You will always have something fun to do.  You will always have a way to express yourself.  You will always be able to create something beautiful to someone.

Happy #WorldWatercolorMonth!

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

Pink Zinnia Bluez

/ Jodi / 50 Comments

pink zinnia

Last week I posted a photo of a zinnia that seemed like it was just begging to be painted, and I couldn’t wait to give it a go!

One evening, I printed the photo and lightly drew it in pencil using my lightbox – a great tool for us beginners who so often struggle with the drawing part.  (Well – let’s face it – I often struggle with ALL the parts!)

I gave it a light water wash and first glaze of pink before quitting for the evening, as I am trying to learn patience and allowing drying time to achieve more complex watercolor paintings.

When my friend, Janet was over one evening, she asked to see what art I’ve been up to.  When she saw the beginning of the zinnia, she said it would be a great post to show progress photos of the steps I go through.

Yes – great idea, Jan….   but I haven’t really figured out what steps I go through really!

Anyway – Charlie and I arose early the next morning – around 5:30am – and I decided to give my zinnia another coat.  Well – that led to another, and then a disaster, followed by another disaster and a third disaster.

I kept re-trying to reproduce with watercolor what I had envisioned in my head.

Now I am one to promote that it is all about the journey – all about the process – but sometimes I just want to do it perfect – do it right – do it beautiful —- and alas, it wasn’t happening with this beautiful pink zinnia.

This was my fifth effort of it, and I got to where I gave up.  It is not even close to what I had envisioned, though somewhat pleasing…  at least compared to the first four efforts!  I tried wet on wet, wet on dry, sketch first, sketch after, no sketching…

But WHY can I not reproduce on paper what is in my head?!

This is where I call out for support and advice from my artist friends.

Please offer your wisdom.

I obviously tend to “overwork” it.

Watercolor is something I’ve just had this urging to pursue.  I’ve watched a few YouTube videos, perused a few books, and follow some amazing bloggers, but I have no formal training and no artistic experience.

I would so appreciate anyone who would be willing to offer their top advice for a wannabee watercolorist!

I am writing this a few days ahead of when it will post, so who knows where my head will be when this posts.  But I so look forward to your tips and advice, and hope to be feeling a little better about my watercolor journey by the time you read this.

Can the encourager seek some encouragement this time please?   😉

Cheers & Hugs,

Jodi