flower

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.

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.

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!

Blossom through the Darkness

/ Jodi / 41 Comments
Orange Begonia - July, 2017 - Mars, PA

Orange Begonia – July, 2017 – Mars, PA

We don’t always grow when things are easy,
We don’t always blossom when the sun is bright.

Grow through the challenges.
Blossom through the darkness.

Life your life as fully and courageously and boldly as you can.
It’s your opportunity to bloom!

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

PS  Thanks, Jan, for these beautiful flowers, they are still vibrantly blossoming!

Funky Flower in Amethyst Genuine

/ Jodi / 35 Comments
Funky Flower in Amethyst Genuine Watercolor 8x10 140lb Arches Cold Press

Funky Flower in Amethyst Genuine Watercolor 8×10 140lb Arches Cold Press

A Funky Flower in Amethyst Genuine.

Just some late night splashing that resulted in this beautiful surprise in the morning.

This Daniel Smith Amethyst Genuine is a gorgeous color with a bit of sparkle in the sunlight.  The photo makes it appear more blue than it really is, but I like it nonetheless.

Trying to at least do a watercolor painting to share every other day for #WorldWatercolorMonth!

A little diversion from my animal rhyme series, but more to come – watch for an otterly awesome otter named Potter in the next few days!

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

 

Stars Don’t Only Shine at Night

/ Jodi / 24 Comments
Purple Petunias

Purple Petunias

Stars don’t only shine at night.

Attract what you expect.
Reflect what you desire.
Become what you respect.
Mirror what you admire.

Author Unknown
InspirationQuotesMagazine.com

Shine on Stars…
Shine on!

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

Impatience

/ Jodi / 31 Comments
Impatiens Flowers - June 2017 - Mars, PA

Impatiens Flowers – June 2017 – Mars, PA

Impatience.

It is hard to be patient,
when you are impatiently waiting…

For the sun to rise,
or for the sun to set.

For the next season to begin,
or for the former to end.

For the pot to boil,
or for the bread to rise.

For the punch line of a joke,
or the ending of a sad movie.

To start a new book,
or to reach the ending.

For the child to grow,
or for the child to remain small.

For the love of your life,
or for the ability to love life.

For that amazingly great moment,
or for each one in between.

Cheers and hugs,
Jodi

 

A Pansy for Your Thoughts

/ Jodi / 43 Comments
Purple Pansy Watercolor - 6x9 140lb Saunders Hot Press

Purple Pansy Watercolor – 6×9 140lb Saunders Hot Press

A Pansy for Your Thoughts.

I painted this pansy one night this past week, and it kept “speaking to me” in a thoughtful way.

It just keep saying, “A Pansy for Your Thoughts.”

Anyone that knows me well, knows I’m a bit of a “deep thinker.”  In fact, you might say I overthink things.  But it is who I am, and now that I’m in my fifth decade of life, I’m pretty okay with it.  A nice place to be.

So today, I just wanted to share a bit of me, and I’d love to hear about a bit of you.  You know… A Penny… A Peso… A Pansy for Your Thoughts.

I care what people think…
about me…

I really wish
I didn’t.

But I always want
everyone to like me.

And if they don’t,
it bothers me – a lot.

And it is not possible for everyone to like me.
I really do “get” that.

But it still troubles me,
no matter how hard I try.

My head
understands this.

But my heart,
which I prefer to think with,

Or just can’t help
but to think with…

just can’t wrap
its arms around the notion.

Is it just a part
of my DNA?

That is what
my personality assessment reveals.

I’m a High “I”
not matter the circumstance.

So I truly believe,
though I wish it weren’t so,

I will still think this way
if I live to be 108.

Do you care what other people think…
about you?

A Pansy
for your thoughts…

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

 

 

A 30th Birthday Money Flower Card

/ Jodi / 23 Comments

A 30th Birthday Money Flower Card.

If you are looking for a creative card and/or gift for a special 30 year old in your life, how about making them a money flower card?

I needed a special card for a very special young lady (my daughter-in-law, Colleen) who turned 30 this past weekend.  I was trying to think of something creative like the Happy Birthday Money Cake I made for my son (her hubby!) a few years ago.

For the card, I started with a piece of black (any color will do) poster board cut to approximately 20 inches wide by 10 inches high that I folded in half to form a large card.  I also used two pieces of white 8.5 x 11″ card stock, 30 $1 bills and 1 $20 bill, approximately 33 dimensional adhesive dots, Tombow Mono Multi Liquid glue, a small piece of ribbon, and some colorful Sharpie markers.

I rolled all of the dollar bills tightly and adhered the loose end of each with a dimensional adhesive dot to the first piece of white card stock in the shape of a flower.  I used the $20 as the flower stem rolling it the long way.  I then drew around the flower with colored Sharpie markers, added two leaves with “Happy” written in one and “Birthday” in the other.  I drew a big bold “30” in the center of the flower, tied a bow on the stem, and then glued it to the front of the folded poster board using the Tombow glue.

On the inside, I listed 30 things we love about Colleen.  (That was the really easy part!)

You could use this for other milestone birthdays too and create different shapes.  It might make a fun wedding, anniversary, or graduation card too.

It was really fun and super easy to make, and even more fun to give to her.

Make giving the gift of money fun and creative!

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

 

Chinese Lantern

/ Jodi / 30 Comments

Chinese lantern flower - Phipp's Conservatory - Spring 2017

Chinese lantern flower – Phipp’s Conservatory – Spring 2017

Chinese Lantern.

So small.
So delicate.

So intricate.
So powerful.

So bright
without a light.

Nature’s symbol
of life’s joy.

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
#cherishthemoments

#onebeautifulthingeachday