No Regrets Abstract Watercolor
Never regret a day in your life.
Good days give happiness.
Bad days give experience.
Worst days give lessons.
Best days give memories.
(source unknown)
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
Never Regret A Day
Painting
My First Portrait Subject in Watercolor
My Sweet C – 8 x 10 watercolor – 300 lb Artistico Fabriano
I am typically a more “impressionist” style amateur watercolor artist. (At least that is what I consider myself.) I don’t necessarily try to exactly replicate something, but more try to interpret my impression of how it makes me feel.
As many of you know, I am a new grandma for the first time, and ECSTATIC doesn’t even begin to describe how I feel about that!
So you are probably not surprised that the first subject I chose to attempt a watercolor portrait of is my sweet little granddaughter.
I didn’t do her beauty justice, but the process of looking at her picture and painting her brought me a lot of joy. It was a fun experiment. I was hoping it would be nice enough to give to my son and daughter-in-law for a Christmas gift framed, but I am not happy enough with how it turned out, so that idea didn’t work out.
I decided to post it anyway, though, as my first watercolor portrait. Hopefully I will look back some day and compare it to something much better.
My sweet granddaughter, on the other hand, is absolutely perfect!
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
Baby It’s Cold Outside
Seymour Snowie – Watercolor Holiday Snowman with Cardinal – 4 1/4 x 5 1/2
Baby It’s Cold Outside…
I swear everything reminds me of some song.
No matter the discussion, I typically can break out into song about it…
or at least have a song running through my head at the same time.
(If you are anywhere nearby, you will likely hope it only runs through my head as carrying a tune is not one of my stronger talents!)
This time of year,
everything brings to mind a Christmas Carol.
It started snowing yesterday!
And turned C O L D!
I really can’t stay…. but Baby, it’s cold outside….
I’ve got to go away…. but Baby, it’s cold outside….
December snow is the best snow. It is when most of us actually get excited to see snow – as opposed to March snow – when we are usually soooo over it!
So I was inspired to paint this chilly little guy – Seymour Snowie.
He is a holiday snowman, and he is chatting with his little friend Cameron the Cardinal. I think they are so GLAD it’s cold outside! At least Seymour is.
Wishing you cold, snowy fun outside, and warm comfort inside!
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
(PS – I thought this might make a cute Holiday Greeting Card or Holiday Thank You Note, so I made these little cuties into cards for our McKinneyX2Designs ETSY shop. You can check them out here!)
Paint and Imagine
Watercolor Iris Painting – 7×9
When its dreary and rainy,
but you’re dreaming of bright and snowy…
think of flowers,
remember the sunshine…
paint purple puddles,
imagine they are irises.
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
Three Things We Cry For
Hazel Eye with Tear Drop Watercolor 5×6 Fabriano Artistico
“There are three things we cry for in life:
things that are lost,
things that are found,
and things that are magnificent.”
– Douglas Coupland, author, artist, designer
Wishing you many tears of joy experiencing things that are magnificent!
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
Oh Christmas Trees – In Pink & Gold
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
The eARTh without ART is just…. “eh”
Acrylic Abstract Painting 16×20 Jodi McKinney
On a recent evening out with friends, we passed a little ‘hole-in-the-wall’ diner in the Bloomfield section of Pittsburgh that had a sign above it saying, “The earth without art is just ‘eh’.” It caught our attention, and it has been in my mind ever since.
This crazy acrylic painting evolved over the course of several days. While far from fine art, it was a fun, creative experiment.
It started out being blue and brown and white to match a recent bedroom redo.
The next day it became an ocean and sky scene… then back to an abstract the following day with drips of gold.
Around the fourth day, I decided it needed some red. The red was too bold, so I added white to tone it down and “pink” it up a bit.
And on and on it went until I splattered white and tar gel with a toothbrush on and decided it was time to quit.
It has all kinds of crazy things going on over many layers, but there is something about it in the end that I kinda like.
Maybe because it reminds me that….
the earth without art is just “eh!”
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
A Painting for a Proud Grandpa
Wayne’s Pride & Joy – 10×12 Watercolor
A sweet friend of mine is a very proud Grandpa.
He shared one of his favorite photos on his iPhone with me last week.
These are two of his grandchildren.
I believe this was at Halloween
when they were dressed as a fire fighter and a police officer
leaning on a fire hydrant
watching the community parade.
I hope he enjoys this sweet surprise and it brings him joy,
because it would be hard to image a greater joy than that of being a grandparent.
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
P.S. Here is the iPhone photo Wayne shared.
CharlieDog the Character
CharlieDog Watercolor Character – 10 x 12
I stayed up very late the other night watching election coverage.
It was so nerve-wracking, I had to do something besides watch predictions and “paths” and the shock of the reporters as they announced each state’s decision and electoral numbers.
I wanted to do something pleasant and think pleasant thoughts. The happiest thing that came to mind is our sweet grand baby who is due any day now. As I thought of her, I thought of stuffed animals and cute animal characters. I thought of soft, cuddly teddy bears. And then I decided to create a teddy bear like stuffed character of Charlie, our furry adopted boy.
In the wee hours of the night/morning, CharlieDog was born on a 10×12 sheet of Arches 300 lb cold press. He has chubby chipmunk cheeks and curious cherubic eyes. His chunky belly is plump and soft and snuggable. He has one ear up on alert for Cliff the Mailman or Mike the UPS man or anyone delivering pizza!
Art has become such a calming, stress-relieving outlet for me. If anyone out there thinks they would love to draw or paint or create, but feels they aren’t “artistic” enough or don’t have any formal training, or have never tried, or whatever your reasons might be – just do it. Don’t let your mind tell you that you can’t. I would have said that a year ago. Do it for the joy. Do it for you – not anybody else’s approval or praise (that part was/is a struggle for me that I am getting much better at). Do it to create your own kind of beauty. Do it for peace and love and goodness – for yourself or someone your share it with.
Focus on things that make you happy, bring you peace, express joy, demonstrate love. Small acts change the world. Be your own kind of beautiful. Make your own kind of art or sing your own special song. Do your thing! Be you!
#FocusingonPeace
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
Tranquil Trees in a Serene Scene
Tranquil Trees & Peaceful Mountains – A Serene Scene Watercolor in Prussian Blue & Panes Gray – 7×9
Today I wanted to paint and share something peaceful…
tranquil…
serene.
On a day in the U.S. that is likely not to be.
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
the creative life in between 