Deer

I Spy a Deer

/ Jodi / 78 Comments

I Spy a Deer.

This past weekend, I pondered a watercolor page I’d done one evening the week prior, where I simply brushed and splashed.

Sometimes that is all I want to do…  just wet a piece of paper, drop in some color, and let the magic happen.  It is a great stress reliever to unwind for me.

Then I carried it around on Saturday – – just having it in within sight in the room with me wherever I was while I went about other things around the house.

Before I could do anything more with it, we had a birthday party to go to, so I just let it simmer in my brain.

On Sunday morning, I couldn’t wait to wake up and paint.  At 6am, I hopped out of bed, poured a cup of coffee, and tip-toed up to my art studio while hubby and Charlie remained in bed.

I knew what I was going to do with it.   In the close-up below, can you see my inspiration?  I had contempleted a bird…..  I considered a lamb…   I almost decided on a giraffe.  Then I saw what I had to paint.  A deer!  A handsome buck was peering at me as clear as day.

Do you see it?  I started with the eye, then the nose, the ears and horns… just adding enough detail to allow the brain to fill in the rest.  It’s a bit inspired by the Jean Haines technique I so adore!

I love how it turned out!

So in addition to adding to our McKinneyX2Designs ETSY shop, I added it to our Society6 page as well, so I could see what it would look like on pillows and iPhone cases and all the other fun ways they convert art into products!

What will you spy in the things you come across today?  Keep your mind open, and you never know what you might find!

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

 

Oh Deer!

/ Jodi / 24 Comments

deer

Living surrounded by woods is such a nice way to share our home with the beauty and the beasts nature provides.

I think this girl is beautiful as she prances along the edge of the woods and our yard.

Our furry son, on the other hand, thinks these “beasts” need shooed away and makes it his mission to bark and chase and keep them out of “Mikey’s yard.”

So while Mikey was barking and acting tough and big and ferocious (to no avail!), I grabbed my camera and caught a shot of this girl in the shadows of the woods yesterday…..

and I told Mikey we are allowed to share our home with her…  (I just wish she wouldn’t eat my hostas!)

Cheers & Hugs,

Jodi

Mikey on Deer Hunting Season

/ Jodi / 30 Comments

I am NOT a fan of hunting season.

dear deer Mikey 120114

My Mom makes me stay in the house because she is afraid all of the crazy hunters outside in the woods might think I am a deer.

So instead – she does silly things like this!

And I will […heavy sigh...] shamelessly do ANYthing for a treat!

Will someone please tell my Mom I am a “dear,” not a deer!

Most sincerely,

(Mikey McKinney)    paw print

 

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Today is the first day of firearms deer-hunting season in Pennsylvania.

Per CBS Pittsburgh:  “Hundreds of thousands of hunters headed into the woods of Pennsylvania early this morning in hopes of snagging a buck. Pennsylvania Game Commission officials say they were expecting 750,000 hunters statewide to take part in this opening day of deer season.  For many in western Pennsylvania, today marks a family tradition that has been passed down from generation to generation.  “It’s just part of our heritage. It’s in the DNA of people who live [here],” said Pa. Wildlife Conservation Officer Gary Fujak.  “When hunters are out there, they need to keep that in mind, that they’re actually providing a good public service to manage our deer population here,” he said.”