rusty

Life Lessons from the Old Porch Swing

/ Jodi / 54 Comments

Front Porch Swing – January, 2019

Life Lessons from the Old Porch Swing.

It’s not about what you look like on the outside…
even if you are rusty, weathered, and worn.

It is about what you are made of…
and what you do with it.

It is about how you connect.
It is about the purpose you serve.

It is about the joy you create.
It is the comfort you provide.

It is about the support you give.
It is the sacred secrets you protect.

It is about feeling the breeze.
It is embracing the squeaks.

It is about the experiences you create.
It is in the memories you cherish.

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

Spring or Fall? A Seasonal Paradox

/ Jodi / 35 Comments
Red Autumn Leaf on Rusty Spring - Mars, PA

Red Autumn Leaf on Rusty Spring – Mars, PA

Spring or Fall?

The things you find on an Autumn walk
that resonate with your thoughts….

Like the old rusty box spring
that has been sitting for years

against a pile of well seasoned cut and split firewood
on a path I pass frequently on my walk.

It sits there as if its purpose
is purely to create artistic beauty

A paradox…
a contradiction.

Just like a crazy 74 degree November day
in the little town of Mars, PA.

Is it “Spring” or is it Fall?

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

The Rusty Old Bridge in Watercolor

/ Jodi / 62 Comments
rusty old bridge watercolor original matted

The Rusty Old Bridge and Fisherman Original Watercolor, Pittsburgh, PA

I did another watercolor painting this past weekend of a photo I shared recently.

I am challenged with this big of a piece and so many details.  The painting is 8 x 10, and I did it on Arches Hot Press, which I rather love for it’s fluidity.  So fun to experiment with different types of paper.

I think the fisherman really stands out in the painting more so than in the photo.

It was a challenge.  I completed it.  I will continue trying!

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

 

A Sprinkling Can Doodle Wash

/ Jodi / 31 Comments

sprinkling can watercolor card

Today I am celebrating my dear, sweet Joyce.

Today is her birthday, and I made this little card for her that I hope she receives in time!  (Yikes – just sent yesterday – so she may see it here before she gets it in the mail!)

Joyce is my second cousin by family, but she is also one of my dearest friends by choice.  She and her adorable hubby, “Oh Rob,” are some of our besties for so many reasons.

Joyce and Rob are true inspirations in the way they live their lives.  They truly CELEBRATE life!

They are creative and soulful and kind to others.

They are respectful of the environment.

They are generous with their time and money and gifts.

They are teachers, and they also love to learn.

They share their home (and their friends) in a way like no others.

They cook and preserve and eat with gusto!

They have open minds and open ears and open hearts.

They give REAL hugs – the kind where you really squeeze and hang on like you might not have another chance and like you really, genuinely mean it!  And they give kisses too – right on the lips!

And they have helped me through a lot of “stuff.”  (you know that kind of stuff we all have but don’t always talk about…)  Joyce and her family really helped me get through a tough time and period in my life, and for that, I will be forever grateful.

It’s funny how a post about Joyce turned into one about Joyce and Oh Rob…. but they are such a perfect pair and complement each other so beautifully, it is hard to  think of one without thinking of the other.  And that is a compliment and tribute to their marriage and the kind of people they are.

So please join in in wishing one of the world’s best a best birthday!

Joyce is, among so many other things, an avid gardener, so her card is a little “doodlewash” of a sprinkling can that I was inspired to do from a painting I saw by an amazing artist that I want to learn more from, RoseAnn Hayes.  Joyce is also an amazing watercolor artist, so I hesitate to even send my humble, feeble attempt to her, but she will love it anyway just because it was handmade for her from me.  🙂

On the inside, I wrote:

Thank you for sprinkling my soul with your kindness
and feeding my heart with your love.
You have helped me to blossom.

Wishing you the happiest of birthdays with lots of love, my Joyce!

Cheers & Hugs,

Jodi