path

Celebrating Friendship at Stony Brook State Park

/ Jodi / 28 Comments
Stony Brook State Park, Finger Lakes Region, NY - Girlfriend Camp GFC 2019 - August, 2019

Stony Brook State Park, Finger Lakes Region, NY – Girlfriend Camp GFC 2019 – August, 2019

Celebrating Friendship at Stony Brook Park.

Climbing stairs

Crossing bridges

Converging pathways

Circulating blood

Conversing thoughts

Circumventing hazards

Communing with nature

Connecting souls

Contemplating life

Considering options

Challenging opinions

Cooperating ideas

Confessing truths

Collecting memories

Celebrating friendship

#GFC2019 Stony Brook State Park, Finger Lakes Region, NY - August 2019

#GFC2019 Stony Brook State Park, Finger Lakes Region, NY – August 2019

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

 

Celebrating Friendship at Stony Brook State Park

Painting a Path – Preserving a Memory

/ Jodi / 32 Comments

Cliffs of Moher Pathway, Ireland in Watercolor – 11×14

Painting a Path – Preserving a Memory.

On our recent trip to Ireland, I took over 1,000 photos!

I narrowed that thousand down to about 100 that I chose to preserve in a photo book for hubby as a final gift for his birthday and memory book of our amazing trip.

One of my favorite photos is of this stone-lined path along the Cliffs of Moher.

I decided to try and paint it in watercolor – though I’m not a great landscape artist.

Hubby knew right away what and where it was, which made me smile.

I prefer to paint loose, rather than realistically, but sometimes that is even more of a challenge.

Maybe you see another spot or special place near a beach when you look at this painting?

No matter what you see, my hope is that it evokes joy and a sense of peace and happiness.

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

Crossroads

/ Jodi / 65 Comments

Crossroads Original Abstract by Jodi McKinney 11×14 140lb Cold Press

Crossroads.

When we arrive at a crossroads,
it is an opportunity to let go of the past
and who we have been.

Which way will we go?
Who will we decide
we want to become?

This recent acrylic abstract painting I created is called Crossroads.

Lately, I am driven towards abstraction and experimenting with acrylics.
It is fun to try something new…
An opportunity to discover who I want to be.

And my art is helping me find me…
the direction I want to go
at a crossroads of life.

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

PS  This original painting as well as prints and note cards are available at McKinneyX2Designs on ETSY.   Hope you will take some time to browse our watercolor paintings, original art, and handmade rustic signs and decor.

On this Road called Life

/ Jodi / 62 Comments
Early November Morning Walk after the Storm - thecreativelifeinbetween.com

Early November Morning Walk after the Storm – thecreativelifeinbetween.com

On this Road called Life.

There will be ups and downs…
There will be twists and turns.

There will be sunshine and rain…
There will be seasons of change.

But straight roads
don’t make skillful drivers.

And flowers can’t grow
on smoothly paved roads.

This road called life
is your path to choose.

And if you don’t like the one you are traveling on….
pave a new.

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

 

We had an unseasonably strong thunderstorm this past Saturday night, but Sunday morning brought shiny, clean beauty on my morning walk with Charlie that was made even sweeter by the extra hour of sleep gifted from “Falling Back” from Daylight Savings to Eastern Standard Time and the gorgeous colors of Autumn leaves.

Open your Eyes and look with your Heart

/ Jodi / 39 Comments

autumn-path-in-the-woods

When I look at this photo
I snapped along my walk the other day,
I realize how grateful I am
to have such a place of beauty
so close by
to be able to walk by
every day I can.

There is so much beauty…
so much to be grateful for…
if only we open our eyes
and look with our hearts.

Do you see the possibilities?
Do you wonder about the mystery
that is just a few steps further
along the path
and around the bend?

Open your eyes
and look  with your heart.

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

I’ll Meet You There

/ Jodi / 49 Comments

walk in the woods

“Out beyond ideas
of wrongdoing and right doing,
there is a field.
I’ll meet you there.”

-Rumi, 13th Century

I took a walk this past weekend.

Not the usual path…
Not the usual road.

I took a walk in the woods

behind the house
where I rarely go.

It made me wonder

why I don’t spend more time there
out beyond the daily routine.

Beyond right,
beyond wrong.

I’ll meet you there.

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi