Blue

Reality

/ Jodi / 40 Comments
abstract-blues-purple-gold

Abstract in Blues Purple & Gold 10×16 300 lb Arches Cold Press

“Reality is what we take to be true.
What we take to be true is what we believe.
What we believe is based upon our perceptions.
What we perceive depends on what we look for.
What we look for depends on what we think.
What we think depends on what we perceive.
What we perceive determines what we believe.
What we believe determines what we take to be true.
What we take to be true is our reality.”

– David Bohm

Abstract Watercolor done playing with products:  BRUSHO Watercolor Crystals in Turquoise, Ultramarine Blue and Purple, Dr. Ph. Martin’s Iridescent Copper Plate Gold, Dr. Ph. Martin’s Bleedproof White,  Winsor & Newton Iridescent Medium, Salt, & Saran Wrap.

Making More Art

/ Jodi / 62 Comments
Blue Eyed Yellow Cat Face Close Up Watercolor - 7.5 x 9.5

Blue Eyed Yellow Cat Face Close Up Watercolor – 7.5 x 9.5

“Don’t think about making art, just get it done.
Let everyone else decide if it’s good or bad, whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding, make even more art.”

– Andy Warhol

Just making more art!

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

Watercolors:  Quinacridone Gold, Cerelean Blue, Opera Rose, Paynes Gray

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

 

Playing with Pastels in Orange and Blue

/ Jodi / 49 Comments
Abstract Pastel in Orange and Blue - 9x12

Abstract Pastel in Orange and Blue – 9×12

I woke up early Sunday morning – before the sun, before the birds, before the rest of the house.  Sometimes this is my favorite time of day.  It feels like an extra gift of time to do whatever I please.  So I poured a cup of coffee and sat down with some blank paper and my box of Sennelier soft pastels.

Abstract Pastel in Blue and Orange

Abstract Pastel in Blue and Orange

For about an hour and a half, I drew and I rubbed and I smudged with abandon and nothing in particular in mind, and these two 9x12s were the result.  On the second one, I decided to see what would happen if I splattered some white…..

It was fun to just create some abstract abandon in shades of oranges and blues.

Wishing you a day with a gift of time to do what makes you happy.

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

 

Ahoy for Baby Boys!

/ Jodi / 38 Comments
Prussian Blue, Cobalt Teal Blue, Quin Gold Watercolor Whale 8x10

Prussian Blue, Cobalt Teal Blue, Quin Gold Watercolor Whale 8×10

After all the pink love last week, I had the pleasure of creating something blue and nautical for a sweet little boy we are preparing to welcome.

Prussian Blue, Cobalt Teal Blue, Quin Gold Watercolor Nautical Anchor 8x10

Prussian Blue, Cobalt Teal Blue, Quin Gold Watercolor Nautical Anchor 8×10

How lucky am I that one of my BFF’s had a grandson about six months ago and another BFF is having one within weeks of our granddaughter’s due date.  Seems it will be one of the greatest joys in life to share motherhood and then grandmotherhood with life-long friends.

blue-nursery-whale-watercolor-8x10-original-framed-to-11x14

So yesterday was the “Ahoy It’s a Boy” shower, and I made a couple of watercolor paintings for this little guys’s nautical themed nursery.

blue-anchor-watercolor-framed

I matted the 8×10 paintings with navy blue matting and framed them with white 11×14 frames.

It’s hard to take photos of paintings under glass without reflection and in good light, so these photos are a bit off in color, but I thought they turned out really cute, and I hope they will go well in this sweet little guys’s new room.

I thought it would be fun to make them into greeting cards too.

nautical-blue-whale-and-anchor-watercolor-greeting-cards

Can’t wait to meet you Baby Boy Griffith!

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

 

 

 

 

A Giant Blue Feather

/ Jodi / 76 Comments
Blue Feather Large 16 x 20 Watercolor on Fabriano Artistico 300 lb Cold Press

    Giant Blue Feather 17 x 22″ Watercolor – Fabriano Artistico 300 lb Cold Press

Some of my sweet “regulars” here at LifeinBetween.me might remember a very similar painting I shared last month of a Blue Feather….

And even though this one looks about the same size as that first one here…..
in real life, it is hugely different!

The first one was 5 x 7″…

This one…. is 17 x 22″!

To try to give you a feel for the size, I took a photo of my son, Nick, holding it.  Nick is 6’3″ tall.

Nick holding Watercolor Blue Feather 17x22

Why?  You might be asking…. Did I paint such a large blue feather?!

It was actually a requested piece.

Someone who saw the blue feather cards on our McKinneyX2Designs ETSY page asked if she could have it in a large painting.

So I tore a full sheet of Fabriano Artistico 300 lb Cold Press in half and started splashing water and paint with abandon!

I am thrilled to report she loved it.

I am also thrilled to report what a joy it was to create.

What a joyous journey it is discovering my passion for creativity.

Are you finding joy in your journey?

Happy Friday my friends!

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

Feathers Appear When Angels are Near

/ Jodi / 57 Comments
Blue Watercolor Feather - 5x7 Arches 140lb Cold Press - Prussian Blue, Cobalt Teal, Quinacridone Gold

Blue Watercolor Feather – 5×7 Arches 140lb Cold Press – Prussian Blue, Cobalt Teal, Quinacridone Gold

In light of all the tragedy and horrific events happening in the world,
I am choosing to find goodness, and beauty, and love, and happiness.

It is so easy to get caught up in the news and give more power to the demons
who do such things as drive trucks into crowds of innocent people celebrating life.

Instead, I found peace in art the other evening…

In thoughts of angels among us…

Angels in the form of good people
who do good things…
who spread happiness
and love and hope.

It is sometimes said that feathers appear when angels are near,
so I painted this blue feather to remind myself of the beauty and goodness that is also so close.

Blue is meant to bring a calming and peaceful energy.

May this simple blue feather I painted for #WorldWatercolorMonth today
be a symbol to you
of the angels among us.

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

Blue Ball: A Charlie Guest Post

/ Jodi / 57 Comments

Charlie blue ball

Woohoo!  It’s Ball Season!

Some of you love baseball.
My family cheers for the Pittsburgh Pirates.

We love football too – if it is the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Right now – our Pittsburgh Penguins are in the Stanley Cup Playoffs,
and though they use a puck instead of a ball, it is still very exciting.

There is also basketball, softball, tennis, golf, volleyball, soccer, wiffle ball, ping pong, bowling, pool, and probably a million other ball games,

but my favorite ball game
(if you don’t count eating meatballs) 

is Blue Ball!

My mom brought out the bucket of blue balls the other day, and boy oh boy did we have fun!

It’s a simple game, but such a BLAST!

Here is how you play it.

Step 1:  Mom throws the ball in the grass.

Step 2:  I run and get it, and then I run back.

Step 3:  Now here is the FUN part….

Sometimes I bring the blue ball back to Mom,
but other times…..  I ZOOOOOOOM right by her and trick her!

Sometimes I bring it to her and drop it….  but (get ready for this!) right when she goes to pick it up,
I grab it first!

And then – (are you ready for this one?)
other times I bring it back – but don’t let go of it, and I make her beg for it.
Sometimes Mom pretends to cry – – –  like I can’t see a fake a mile away!

Other times I let her yank at it for a while and I ferociously (fake of course – but she doesn’t know!) GROWL!

Blue Ball is most fun when you play it by varying up the way you play Step 3 every time.

Isn’t that a great game?!

Hope you have some fun playing whatever kind of ball you like this weekend!

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 the UPS 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: https://lifeinbetween.me/.   If you would enjoy a companion like Charlie, please consider pet adoption.

 

 

Painting Punta Cana

/ Jodi / 72 Comments
Punta Cana Ocean Beach Palm Tree Watercolor 10x14

Punta Cana Ocean Beach Palm Tree Watercolor 10×14

I found some time the other evening to splash with some Cobalt Teal and Prussian Blue, Yellow Ochre and Burnt Umber, Quinacridone Gold and Green Gold watercolor to try to recreate the wonderful feeling of being on our recent little “rum-away” to Punta Cana.

“Landscapes” are a challenge to me.  After a couple of attempts at this first one, I decided to just splash these colors into an abstract.

Punta Cana Ocean Abstract Watercolor 10x14

Punta Cana Ocean Abstract Watercolor 10×14

I then tried turning my 10×14 portrait page to landscape and creating a scene with a few trees recalling how we discussed how amazing that some of them were still alive bending and swaying in the breeze.  There was one like the one below right in front of  “our spot on the beach” where lots of people stopped to lean on and pose for photos.

Punta Cana Ocean Beach Palm Trees Watercolor 10x14

Punta Cana Ocean Beach Palm Trees Watercolor 10×14

All of these paintings were done on 10 x 14″ sheets of Arches 300 lb cold pressed watercolor paper.

Hoping they help you to “feel” the ocean breeze!

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

Weeds are Flowers too… Once you get to know Them

/ Jodi / 55 Comments
purple weeds

Up Close & Personal with Flowers/Weeds in My Lawn, Mars, PA

“Weeds are flowers too…
Once you get to know them.”

— A. A. Milne, Author of Winnie the Pooh

May you see flowers in all of your “weeds.”

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

Daily Post Weekly Photo Challenge:  Earth