Pink Orange Gold Watercolor Christmas Trees 5×7
O Christmas Tree! O Christmas Tree!
Thy leaves can be so changing;
O Christmas Tree! O Christmas Tree!
They need not be unchanging;
Not only green like everyone;
But you can be whatever you want.
O Christmas Tree! O Christmas Tree!
Pink and Orange and Gold look good on thee!
Embrace the magic!
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
If I had to choose
a color
to describe
Bliss,
I believe it would be
the color of maple leaves
in the Autumn sunshine
dancing in the breeze.
They delight my senses
with their bright
and joyful display.
Until Spring…
when the color of Bliss
is again the color
of the maple leaves
even though that color has changed.
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
Focusing on peace.
Abstract Pastel in Orange and Blue – 9×12
I woke up early Sunday morning – before the sun, before the birds, before the rest of the house. Sometimes this is my favorite time of day. It feels like an extra gift of time to do whatever I please. So I poured a cup of coffee and sat down with some blank paper and my box of Sennelier soft pastels.
Abstract Pastel in Blue and Orange
For about an hour and a half, I drew and I rubbed and I smudged with abandon and nothing in particular in mind, and these two 9x12s were the result. On the second one, I decided to see what would happen if I splattered some white…..
It was fun to just create some abstract abandon in shades of oranges and blues.
Wishing you a day with a gift of time to do what makes you happy.
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
Autumn Tree Watercolor 5 x 7 140lb Fabriano Artistico
For the past few days,
I’ve so wanted to create an Autumn landscape scene…
The colors… the leaves… the trees… the beauty.
But,
each time I “TRIED” too hard,
I ended up scrapping what I created.
Then, the other night,
I just decided to do a single tree,
and I kinda like how it turned out.
10 minutes…
of relaxation
and joy
and contentment.
Sometime I have to step back and quit trying so hard to create the next “masterpiece” and simply enjoy the process.
It seems that is when the magic happens.
It’s similar to how I used to hate Fall –
mainly because it meant kids were going back to school…. summer was over… winter was coming..
and I completely missed the real beauty and pleasure Fall itself has to offer.
Enjoy the “present!”
Cherish the moments.
All the little moments…
of life
in
between.
Happy Autumn…
Happy Fall
Happy Autumnal Equinox!
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
Chrysanthemums in shades of orange and yellow.
Snuggly flannel shirts and cozy hooded sweatshirts.
Snapping and crackling of well-dried wood in the fireplace.
Sipping warm cinnamon apple cider spiked with bourbon.
Spongey pumpkin bread slathered with honey butter.
Crisp, tart apples with slivers of sharp cheddar cheese.
Brightly colored leaves swirling in the breeze.
Gingerbread and gingersnaps and ginger beer in Moscow mules.
High school and College and National and Fantasy football.
Soft socks, comfy crocs, and fuzzy slippers.
Roasted steaming cubes of butternut and acorn squash.
Popcorn munching during binge watching movie marathons.
Fleece blankets, tight hugs, and doggie snuggles.
Foreseeable Fall Frolicking.
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
Watercolor Carrots 5×7 Arches 140lb Arches Rough
Today’s painting for #WorldWatercolorMonth is a quick and simple one celebrating the glorious carrot.
It was fun to create the leafy greens by gently rubbing the side of a rigger brush across the rough watercolor paper in random strokes.
Carrots are a beautiful, healthy vegetable that is equally delicious raw and cooked.
For a yummy version of roasted carrots, check out my recipe for Roasted Caramelized Garlic Carrots here.
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
orange and yellow zinnia 5×7 watercolor 140# Arches Cold Press
Some of you may remember a photo I shared of the first day of Summer of an Orange Zinnia I have on my back deck that I called The Colors of Summer.
A few of you suggested I should try watercolor painting it, so here it is…
The Colors of Summer in Watercolor.
Hope you are feeling the sunshine and warmth of Summer – if not where you live – at least in this little painting.
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
Oranges and Yellows…
Citrusy shades of tangerine and lemon,
Sunrises and sunsets,
Joy and warmth.
The colors of summer…
Sweet summertime.
Happy Summer Sunday!
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
Jim’s Poppies, May 2016, Mars, PA
A flower
does not compete
with the flowers next to it,
It just BLOOMS.
Today,
think about each beautiful, unique, individual flower,
and be your own beautiful, unique, individual You.
Just bloom.
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
I was looking for something new to try baking early yesterday morning before I settled into work for the day.
It was a cool, rainy day after a wonderful stretch of warmth and sunshine. I was in the mood for a nut bread, but after traveling most of the week, I didn’t have a lot of fresh ingredients on hand.
I found a bag of dates, but I wanted to “Springify” a date and nut bread recipe up a bit, so I thought fresh orange flavor might just do the trick. Adding a bit of freshly squeezed orange juice and fresh orange zest was just the ticket to brighten up this lovely bread.
It’s nice to have something like this on hand for a quick breakfast with coffee, a nice little treat for a guest or a late night or after dinner urge for something just a bit sweet, but not too.
I’m sure this would freeze well and be great to pull out when needed.
Hope you enjoy your weekend!
May it be bright and fresh and Springy, but a little nutty too!
Ingredients:
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease bottom only of 9×5-inch loaf pan. Set aside.
Beat sugar and butter at medium speed with mixer, scraping bowl often, until creamy. Add sour cream, orange juice, orange zest and eggs; continue beating until well mixed. Add flour, baking powder and baking soda; beat at low speed until well mixed. Gently stir in dates and walnuts.
Pour into prepared pan. Bake 45 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Let stand 10 minutes; remove from pan. Cool completely.
*Adapted from LandoLakes Recipe
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
the creative life in between 