Dick Blick

A Bright Poinsettia

/ Jodi / 60 Comments

Bright Poinsettia 11×14 Original Watercolor

A Bright Poinsettia.

I so enjoyed painting this bright and happy poinsettia recently.
(And it’s nice to think bright and happy thoughts with all the dark and sad news of the past few days.)

Using my dagger brush (which I need to use more often),  it was fun to just let this painting evolve and happen on the paper.  The dagger brush is “floppy” and loose, yet also allows for wonderful control changing wide strokes to points.

I’m really pleased with how it turned out!  It actually makes me smile to look at.

I’m also thrilled that my new printer is able to produce gorgeous 11×14 prints that look so much like the original, so this option will be added to my paintings in our McKinneyX2Designs Etsy shop.  I also added this design to the Society6 shop, so it can be made into pillows and mugs and other fun stuff.

Wishing you a bright and happy day!

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

PS  Only 55 days until Christmas  😉   and only 2 1/2 weeks until the big Mars Craft Show  (Saturday, 11/17/18) AND Christmas in the Woods at Berry Vine Gifts (11/16-18/18)

In the Pink – In a Blink

/ Jodi / 57 Comments
In the Pink - Abstract Flower Watercolor 8x10 140lb Cold Press

In the Pink – Abstract Flower Watercolor 8×10 140lb Cold Press

In the Pink – In a Blink.

I stare at my computer most all day for work.
Much of the rest of the time, I am looking at my iPhone.

We all need to give our eyes and minds and bodies a break.

When I have a half hour, I often take a walk.

When I just need to step away to regroup for five minutes,
I’ve been challenging myself to do a quick painting in under five minutes.

I just step away.  Breathe.  And try something new.
My art room is on a different floor from my home office, so I just step away a bit and escape for a few minutes.  Art supplies always at the ready.

I might just try a different color paint than I typically use, a different style of painting, or a different size brush than I usually use.  Anything just to clear my mind and regroup.  I often come back to a task that was challenging me with a whole new perspective.

I have some scraps of failed paintings in a box that I can paint on the back of for practice, so I usually use those.  Like I did for this one.

I typically just leave it sit and dry and walk away, go back to work, and then look at it later to see if anything emerges.

This one surprised me, and I kinda love it.

What do you do when you have five minutes and need to regroup?

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

Daniel Smith Watercolors used:  Raw Sienna, Perylene Violet, Permanent Rose, Cadmium Orange, Olive Green.  Brush Used:  Isabey #4 Cat’s Tongue Oval Wash.

A Valentine Landscape

/ Jodi / 75 Comments

Landscape marty valentine 2016

Landscapes in watercolor painting are a new challenge for me!

To date, my largest watercolors have been 5 x 7, and I’ve dabbled in trying to recreate the amazing abstract landscape art of Debi Riley in small card-sized pieces, but I really wanted to surprise hubby with an original landscape piece from me for Valentine’s Day this year.

No pressure!!  Right?!

Sheesh!  I had no idea what a challenge it was going to be!

Every evening after he went to bed for about a week, I tried again and again and again.  I started by watching some great tutorials by Shari Blaukopf on Craftsy.  She does gorgeous landscape sketches in pen, ink and watercolor.  I’m not the best at sketching….   Yet!   But I did learn a few pointers from Sheri about plein art and sketching.  The best thing I learned, however, was about some brushes she recommended that made such a difference in my painting!  The Raphael Squirrel Mop and Escoda Versatil are my first experience with professional brushes.  Oh the way the mop holds and spreads water and the precision point of the Escoda!  Up until now, I struggled with cheaper brushes not holding water enough to carry across a larger piece of paper or the flexibility of a large brush with a point to do large washes as well as small details. Shari also has a blog called The Sketchbook where she posts art every day from her hometown in Montreal.

I also watched some Youtube videos, and tried some landscapes from various artists there.  I especially enjoy watching Alan Owen, an artist from the UK with over 70 years of painting under his belt who shares so generously of his talent.

This was my best attempt (in 11″ x 14″), and though it is extremely far from what I intended, he loved it!  Phew!  I guess that is why they say love is blind.  Actually it is why love is so sweet.  He thinks it ranks up with some beautiful art he took me to see at a local exhibit in Cranberry.  I know it isn’t.  I know exactly what I’ve done wrong and want to improve.  I know what it took to produce some of the masterpieces we saw at that exhibit.  But to his sweet eyes, he saw art, he saw beauty, and I love him for it.

Maybe next year I can replace it with a better one, but this year, my Valentine said “This is just what I would like our backyard to look like!”  And if we squint really, really, REALLY hard, we can imagine that our little stream and woods do!  (wink wink!)

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi