One New Beautiful Thing – Along My Daily Walk
One New Beautiful Thing.
As you walk along life’s pathway –
which often seems to go the same ole’ way,
Challenge yourself to find
just one new beautiful thing each day.
Open your eyes and open your heart –
it is right there in front of you if only you look.
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
Pink Rosebuds Watercolor 5×7 140 lb Cold Press Saunders
Be Bold.
Be bold…
in doing what you love,
in doing what feels good,
in doing what makes you happy.
Be bold…
in making your own kind of beauty,
in being your own kind of beauty,
in seeing the beauty in others.
Be Bold!
Be You!
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
Quick, loose painting done on Saunders 140lb cold press watercolor paper using Daniel Smith Rhodonite Genuine and Sap Green watercolor paint.
Purple Lilacs in Vase
The Scent of Lilacs
Your petals are so delicate.
Your lavender color exquisite.
But it is your sweet fragrance…
Your uniquely undeniable scent –
Much like an aura –
That always draws me in.
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
Bleeding Heart.
Each year when you* bloom –
my favorite flower of all –
you gift me with the pause to remember
the life to celebrate,
the grandma to honor,
the sweet memories to cherish.
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
*This bleeding heart plant is over 25 years old and has lived and thrived at two different homes for me. It was a gift from my grandma that will move with me wherever I live. It is just one of several sweet special “things” I cherish because they were a part of her that lives on with me. Love you Grandma! It’s Springtime – one of your faves!
Potted Blue Lavender in Watercolor – 8×10″ – Fabriano 140lb Cold Press
Potted Blue Lavender in Watercolor.
Oh what fun I had splashing this blue – Cerulean, French Ultramarine, and a splash of Red for some violet tint.
This painting was inspired by one of my favorite watercolor artists, Andrew Geeson. I love Andrew’s loose style and his fun Youtube tutorials. I like to watch him do it, and then walk away and try to create it in my own way. Mine usually look quite different, but that is the beauty of everyone’s personal style.
I love the smell of lavender! For my soon-to-be daughter-in-law, Liz’s bridal shower, her sister made favors for everyone of lavender sugar scrub. I use it almost every day! She made it from coconut oil, sugar, and lavender essence. It is so heavenly to rub between the palms and fingers of my hands and on my feet, making everything so much softer and smelling beautiful.
Lavender can also be used in gourmet cooking. I’m excited to try a recipe one of Liz’s aunts has made for the wedding cookie table. She made earl grey tea bread with lavender butter! Doesn’t that sound amazing?!
So no wonder I am thinking of lavender. I think I will look into buying a lavender plant and seeing how well it does in my little corner of the world.
In the meantime, I thoroughly enjoyed painting lavender in watercolor with a short little half hour break at life in between.
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
Stargazer Oriental Lily (from my 35th Anniversary bouquet) 4/3/17
Star Gazer
A philosopher once asked, ‘Are we human because we gaze at the stars, or do we gaze at them because we are human?’
Pointless, really…
‘Do the stars gaze back?’
Now, that’s a question.
-Neil Gaiman
Something to think about – eh?
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
Purple Crocus Spring Watercolor 10×14″ 300 lb Arches Cold Press
Painting Purple Posies.
Though I could never create the beauty Mother Nature does…
especially in Spring when the purple crocuses pop up and remind us once again of the hope of life and rebirth and renewal…
I couldn’t resist painting my impression of these beauties I captured and posted yesterday.
It was good to splash some Winsor Violet and Opera Rose and Prussian Blue and Cadmium Yellow with a touch of Perylene Green.
And instead of trying to recreate them, my goal was to paint how they made me feel.
I struggle with stopping here or filling in the details to make them look more realistic. But ultimately, my love for impressionistic painting wins, and I stopped.
Before I ever ventured into this amazing joy of painting, I would have thought this way easier than exactly duplicating or painting more realistic representations, but the urge to “fiddle” and “replicate” typically leaves me feeling less satisfied.
To restrain….
To stop “before…”
To leave a bit – even if only a teensy bit – to the imagination…
is a challenge…
But a crazy and totally fulfilling, joyful experience when it works.
Not convinced I hit it with this one, but the joy in the journey might just be as satisfying as the ultimate goal.
Kinda like life – huh?
It’s a journey – meant to be embraced and expressed and felt – all along the way.
Once we reach the destination – then what?
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
Abstract Gold Flower 8×10 Arches 140lb Hot Press
The Best Things in Life…
aren’t things.
The Best Things in Life are..
Hugs -real, authentic, tight bear hugs,
Family – and friends who are our chosen family,
Smiles – the kind where your eyes and cheeks and whole face smiles,
Laughter – from the belly that can’t be contained,
Happy memories – of cherished moments,
Love – the verb, the action, the undeniable, overwhelming choice and joy.
The Best Things in Life
aren’t things.
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
Daniel Smith Watercolors: Quinacridone Gold, Perylene Green
Sunflower Loose Watercolor 11×14 on 140lb Fabriano Artistico
There’s something about sunflowers
that draws me in artistically again and again.
I’ve painted several versions in the past year or so
since I’ve taken on this challenging and fun journey of watercolor.
I saw several loose and similar to this on Pinterest while perusing
and had the urge to paint sunflowers again.
There’s just something about sunflowers!
For this one, I wanted to work on creating lots of layers of greens from Prussian blue, so I created this little mixing tester sheet ahead of my painting to see what colors could be created from mixing it with yellows and browns. Look at all of these amazing colors.
Daniel Smith Watercolors used: Prussian Blue, Quinacridone Gold, Burnt Sienna, Yellow Ochre, Cadmium Yellow Light Hue, Raw Sienna
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
PS This original painting, as well as prints and cards are available at our Etsy Shop: McKinneyX2Designs
Sunshine on a Cloudy Day.
Open your eyes
and look around.
I bet you will see
sunshine can be found.
…even on the cloudiest of days…
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
the creative life in between 