Pink Dogwood Blossoms in Watercolor

Pink Dogwood Blossoms Watercolor - 11x14 140lb Cold Press Saunders

Pink Dogwood Blossoms Watercolor – 11×14 140lb Cold Press Saunders

Pink Dogwood Blossoms in Watercolor

As we begin the month of June and the warmth of Summer is upon us,
I celebrate the end of Spring with this painting of Pink Dogwood Blossoms.

We only have white dogwood trees in our yard, but they are very old.
I wonder about their history as they were here on the property for likely many years before we built our house on the wooded 3 1/2 acre plot we’ve called home for 17 years now.

Some have died and had to be cut down this Spring.  Makes me sad to see them go, but maybe we can replace them with some new pink ones.  Maybe the old white ones can share stories with the new pink ones.  Do you ever wonder if the trees and other things in nature communicate to each other?

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

Thanks Andrew Geeson for another inspiration Youtube tutorial!

The Warm Up

Pink Roses Warm Up Watercolor 5x7 Saunders 140 lb cold press

Pink Roses Warm Up Watercolor 5×7 Saunders 140 lb cold press

The Warm Up.

It’s a good thing to warm up…
right?

In life…
when going to bat,
when giving a speech,
when writing,
when painting….

And sometimes…
the little warm up
surprises us
with unexpected joy
and unexpected satisfaction
and pleasure.

This little painting
was a warm up
for painting some roses.

Just a super quick, five-minute
loose test of sorts
that turned out to be something
I found to be quite beautiful.

Much like life…

So many things
we consider to be
the “warm up”
turn out to be
beautiful surprises.

Cherish the moments!

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

Be Bold

Pink Rosebuds Watercolor 5x7 140 lb Cold Press Saunders

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.

Pink Apricot Watercolor Tulips

Pink Apricot Watercolor Expressionist Tulips - 8 x 10 Fabriano 140 lb Cold Press

Pink Apricot Watercolor Expressionist Tulips – 8 x 10 Fabriano 140 lb Cold Press

Pink Apricot Watercolor Tulips.

I found a few extra moments to steal away to my art studio this past weekend.

I felt like painting some tulips – inspired by our recent trip to Phipps Conservatory‘s Spring Flower Show.

I gave this one a couple tries before I finally decided I liked this version.  I started too tight and too “literal.”  I so admire folks who paint things that look exactly like real life, but it is not my passion.   In my first go, I tried much to hard to replicate the photo.  I then loosened up a bit and created this version that more represents the beauty I felt looking at the tulips.

To me, this painting speaks Joy and Happiness and Life.

And that is what I am feeling this week as we count down the days in wedding week!

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

Daniel Smith Watercolor Paints used:  Rhodonite Genuine, Cadmium Yellow Light, Green Gold, Perylene Green

Paper:  Fabriano Artistico 140lb Cold Press

Happy Easter!

Loose Pastel Pink & Purple Watercolor Tulips - 8x10 140 lb cold press

Loose Pastel Pink & Purple Watercolor Tulips – 8×10 140 lb cold press

HappEaster!

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

Snowstorm Stella & Perky Portulacas

Perky Portulacas in Pink & Orange – 8×10 Watercolor on Saunders 140 lb Cold Press

Snowstorm Stella & Perky Portulacas.

Last night
when all the talk was about Snowstorm Stella

that is supposed to be coming our way…
(could a snowstorm have a lovelier name?!)

I thought of my Grandma –
my Stella Star.

And as I painted what started out to possibly be poppies,
they seemed to emerge as perky portulacas.

When I think of Grandma,
I think of portulacas.

Grandma had a next door neighbor and best buddy
who grew the most amazing portulacas.

I remembered hot, lazy summer evenings
with Grandma and her friend and the talks we had.

I remember all the things I learned about life and love
from these special times.

So as I smiled at the snowstorm with the most beautiful name,
I fondly reminisced about my Grandma and portulacas.

And these wild and loose and crazy
pink and orange flowers grew on the page

With joy and happiness
and gratitude and love.

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

Watercolor Paint:  Daniel Smith Cadmium Orange, Winsor & Newton Permanent Rose, Daniel Smith Lemon Yellow, Daniel Smith Cobalt Blue

 

Babette the Bunny

pink-orange-gold-abstract-bunny-watercolor-9x12-140lb-fabriano-artistico

“Babette” pink-orange-gold-abstract-bunny-watercolor-9×12-140lb-fabriano-artistico

The weather was so warm here for a couple days this week, it felt like Spring!
I don’t remember ever having 60 degree weather in February.  Even the birds were singing and celebrating.

The Spring-like weather must have been the inspiration for “Babette” the Bunny who somehow came to life one evening after dinner.  No drawing – just started painting the eye and then splashing water and pink and orange and dabs of quin gold in the shape of a bunny.

And as for her name, it must have come from the hours of binge-watching Gilmore Girls on Netflix I’ve been doing since Christmas.

It was fun to create a Springy painting on a Springy February day.  Fingers crossed I’m not inspired to paint snowy landscapes in May the way our wacky weather has been this year!

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

McKinneyX2Designs

Look Closely

pink-lily-center-detail-johnny-bereavement-bouquet

Look closely.
Look deeply.

Is it pretty?
Is it beautiful?

Does that matter?
Do you care?

When you look closely,
and when you look deeply,

Do you feel something?
Does it stir your soul?

Feel it,
Embrace it.

Look closely.

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

Creating a Nursery at Grandma’s House

grandmas-nursery-6

I am having so much fun creating a nursery at “Grandma’s house” for our new granddaughter.

grandmas-nursery-7

A sweet little haven for her to rest if I ever decide to let her out of my arms when she is at our home!

grandmas-nursery-4

I promised I’d show you how I turned bumper pads into a window treatment valance.  Didn’t it turn out great?!

grandmas-nursery-10

Almost everything in this room was a passed on from a friend, was given as a gift, is something I made, or something I re-purposed.

Thanks to our friends Sue and Rodney for “gifting” us with this beautiful crib they had outgrown from their two beautiful granddaughters.

grandmas-nursery-3

And thanks to our BFFs Jill and Todd who gifted us with this beautiful rocking chair when we learned we were going to become grandparents.  (Hope you don’t mind I painted and distressed it!)

grandmas-nursery-1

And thanks to our sweet Joyce and “Oh Rob” for this darling antique child’s art desk with paper roll that will be so fun in coming years!

grandmas-nursery-9

And a dear friend, Diane, who sent this sweet little hanging pillow months before our granddaughter arrived, but made me wait until her birth to open (and I really did!).  What truth there is in this message!  What joy!

grandmas-nursery-5

I’m looking forward to reading many, many books – over and over and over – in the years to come.

grandmas-nursery-2

And playing with the basket of toys generously passed down from a sweet friend and incredible young Mom, Stefanie.

grandmas-nursery-8

Sometimes I just walk into this room and smile… thinking of the memories that are going to be created and the love that is already there from the sharing of so many.

I remember the days when this was a little boy’s room with blue marbled walls and baseball trophies.  I reminisce about the two boys who shared a wall between their rooms and secrets I still don’t know about…  Two boys who were best buddies when they were little, didn’t like each other very much when they were teenagers, and are back to being each other’s “bests” as young adults.

Creating a nursery at Grandma’s house…
It is so very much
home sweet home.

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

 

Oh Christmas Trees – In Pink & Gold

pink-orange-gold-christmas-trees-card-2016

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

#itsnotthistimeofyearwithout…