After the rain
everything is fresh
and clean
and new
and glistening
and full of hope.
Dance…
after the rain.
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
I am sharing this photo for the WordPress Daily Post’s Weekly Photo Challenge: Monochromatic.
Nature
Doodlewashing for Draw a Bird Day
Happy Back to ‘whatever it is you do on a regular basis’ after a nice long holiday weekend!
I recently did some “doodling” in my new art journal for Draw a Bird Day…
Then “washed” it with some watercolor.
#Doodlewashing is a fun word and “movement” that Charlie O’Shields and friends created that describes sketching and watercoloring. Charlie’s blog inspires me daily.
And Laura at Create Art Everyday is one of my bestie bloggin’ buddies who puts the call out monthly for #DrawaBirdDay.
These were just really quick little sketches done in roller ball pen late one night and then painted early the next morning (for some reason I got up at 4:30 am that day, so took advantage of some free time). If they look a little bit familiar, I drew them from two photos I had posted from the birds that visit our backyard: The Rose Breasted Grosbeak and the Brown Headed Cowbird.
I’m looking forward to seeing all the fun and truly artistic creations everyone shares!
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
PS In honor of Laura and in memory of her recent loss of her beloved Penny, I sketched my first cat in my new art journal the other day. Laura was on my heart as I was thinking of her grief and loss. I just used a No. 2 pencil and followed some illustrative instructions from a new book I got called Drawing for the absolute beginner by Mark and Mary Willenbrink. This is my first try at this book, and I look forward to doing more to better understand techniques and values and perspective, etc. I’m such a jump-iner! I need to slow down and learn! Love ya Laura!
Wishing you…
Wishing you the freshness of morning dew,
the promise of bursting buds,
beauty and goodness in your surroundings and in your soul,
with colors as rich as the purple Rose of Sharon.
Moments to be cherished,
memories to be embraced,
a full life discovered…
at life in between.
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
Watercolor Lazuli Bunting
I am a bit obsessed with watercolor lately…
My youngest son told my oldest son last week when he was over – “Paint, paint, paint – not so many cookies being baked around here – Mom’s too busy painting!”
Of course they were teasing – like they constantly do to me… (I’ve come to realize it is their way of expressing their love – at least that is what I’ve convinced myself of to maintain sanity!)
But – I do become a bit obsessed with things… (and I am on vacation this week, so scheduled a few posts ahead)
So – when I recently posted my Papa Cardinal watercolor, a sweet blogger friend, Deborah @ CircadianReflections commented how lovely it was and how she wished cardinals were in her area of the world.
I asked Deborah what her favorite was.
When she commented it was a Lazuli Bunting….
I had no idea.
So I Googled,
and I feel in love with this precious little blue bird.
So here is my interpretation of this beautiful little bird that graces the West Coast of the United States…
but not Mars.
Hope it does a teensy bit of justice to this glorious creature.
Thanks for sharing with me Deborah!
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
Papa Cardinal in Watercolor
I had fun painting Papa Cardinal in watercolor this week in celebration of my Three Month Watercoloriversary! (How do you like that made up word?!)
It’s been three months since I first ventured into the world of watercolor and shared my very first watercolor on April 4, 2015.
I think I am making some improvements, and I KNOW I still have a long way to go, but oh what a fun journey it is. I’ve been trying to paint at least one thing a week.
Thanks to Laura @ CreateArtEveryday for initially nudging me out of the nest and encouraging me every day to continue, and thanks to all the other great artistic bloggers and family and friends who have really encouraged and supported me. This is something three and half months ago I wouldn’t have even ventured at. I would have told you I could barely draw a stick figure.
I used this photo of Papa Cardinal at the feeder in our backyard as my pose of choice to roughly draw the shape. I then took LOTS of artistic license in creating an artsy version of him. Because – hey – if I wanted him to look exactly like the photo – what’s the point? Just take the photo – right? (or maybe that’s my excuse…) I put him on a branch instead of the feeder, because the feeder totally detracts from his handsomeness. And then I spiked his hair a bit too to spiff him up.
We have several cardinal families hanging out here in our backyard here in Mars. Maybe I’ll venture to draw Momma or Baby soon. Baby is pretty grown up and there are other new kids now too.
Oh what a bird nerd I have become! Thanks for visiting, and happy weekend – enjoy doing things you love with those you love – at life in between!
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
Ol’ Blue Eyes
Oh Mourning Dove with your sky blue eyes…
your soft graceful coos and your gentle lament.
You draw me near and you cause me sighs…
as you briefly visit, then gracefully descent.
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
A Fun Guy
On my walk to the mailbox one day last week, I stopped in my tracks when I saw this mushroom. Such bright yellow and orange and quite large – probably about 3 inches in diameter.
I am NOT a mushroom fan, so don’t know a lot about them, but my guess is this one would not be a good one to eat! Look at all the icky things growing on it!
Anyway – it reminded me of one of only two jokes I have ever been able to remember in my life.
Our youngest son’s girlfriend often tells a “corny” joke or two when she comes for dinner or a visit.
I’ve always been envious of people who can remember jokes and tell them well.
My father-in-law had a full arsenal of corny jokes, and he would adore Liz for it if he were still around.
So are you ready for the joke?
Here goes.
A mushroom walks into a bar.
The bartender immediately says, “Hey you – get outta here! We don’t serve your kind in here.”
The mushroom replies, “WHY? I’m a Fungi!”
Cheers & Happy Monday Hugs,
Jodi
The Oriole Feeder
I was so excited to buy an Oriole feeder for the hubby for Father’s Day [ahem], so we he could watch the beautiful orange birds that we have occasionally seen in our backyard.
That first day we hung it out, this beautiful young fledgling appeared.
“Score!” I thought. And a Big Woohoo!
But, alas, we poor hubby hasn’t seen another since.
I guess they moved on to Baltimore with those silly Ravens… (Football (Steelers!) fans – you know what I am talking about here.)
But………
the hummingbirds are enjoying it!
And so are we is hubby…
(ok – maybe that Father’s Day present was a little for Momma too – tee hee hee!)
But mostly – it’s all for the birds!
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
This week’s WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge is “Muse.”
The goal is to post a photo of a subject that keeps you coming back? I have to admit… I’ve become a bit of a “backyard bird nerd.” So I thought an appropriate photo(s) to share would be one from our backyard menagerie.
Gold Finch Mountains to Climb
After painting Spooky earlier this week, I still felt like doing more.
I was on a watercolor roll.
So while the paints and brushes were still out,
I saw a Youtube video by The Frugal Crafter.
Lindsay made painting a gold finch
look like a cinch.
So I made the one above.
Then I felt like Jodi’ing it up a teensy tinch,
which meant loosening it up and splattering a pinch.
So I went at it again – on my own this time.
That’s why this original is having a bit of a bad hair day…
Oh dear…..
I sure have mountains to climb!
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
Just let it roll off your back
Brown Headed Cowbird, Mars, PA
The brown-headed cowbird is another member of the menagerie that hangs out in our backyard. Our son Nick claims this is his favorite.
The cool thing about this bird is the iridescent nature of its silky black body. Sometimes he looks blue or purple depending on the lighting or angle. Such a beauty he is – eh?
The other day when it was pouring down rain, he was perched so regally above the feeder with the rain just rolling off his slick, drenched feathers.
He didn’t seem to mind at all, and I thought about the great lessons we can learn from nature…
about letting go of negative…
letting adversity just roll off our backs…
standing tall and proud no matter the circumstances….
looking good even with wet hair… 😉
Singing and dancing in the rain…
Thanks Mr. Cowbird!
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
the creative life in between 