Sun & Clouds – August, 2018 – Mars, PASilver Linings.
I was basking in the sunshine,
when darkness cast its shadow.
I looked up,
and sighed with relief.
When I saw the cloud radiating so brilliantly
with its irrepresible silver lining.
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
Take Flight.
Take flight
above
the turquoise sea,
amidst
the pink and golden
sky.
Stretch
your wings
and soar so high,
let
freedom
guide your heart.
Embrace
the feelings
that you get
when you are
creating
art.
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
Just some words and feelings that came to mind when looking at this 5-minute practice painting I did one day experimenting with techniques.
What did I do? I dropped in some granulating colors – lunar black and quinacridone gold to a wash of alizarin crimson. I then splashed in some creamy white gouache to create a soft, but dramatic sunset sky. I scraped in some flying sea gulls with a couple simple scrapes of a palette knife. I blended cobalt teal with a dab of prussian blue and splashed in some more creamy white gouache. I then splashed some drops of water from a mister bottle and dropped in just a couple flakes of sea salt. I then walked away and waited for the magic to happen…. (the hardest part of all).
Winter Solstice 2017
Winter Solstice.
The bareness of the winter landscape
has its own unique and particular charm.
The trees – unencumbered with leaves –
reveal their unique character and form.
Feathery branches and sturdy trunks
unveil intricate lace designed by nature.
The moon – no matter it’s phase –
shines brighter than ever against the clear, yet soft grey sky.
It brightens our path during the shorter days
creating shadows that stretch longer and more mysteriously.
Winter solstice beckons us home
to comfort and clarity.
To crispness and gentleness –
a clear view of this beautiful world we inhabit.
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
December 21 begins the Winter Solstice in the Northern Hemisphere. Where many look upon this time as negative and dreary, I have grown to adore this season – even more so after reading the first few chapters of a beautiful book I just began, The Christmas Chronicles by Nigel Slater, who practically creates a hymn to winter. Thanks for the recommendation Lynda!
Flames of crimson, pomegranate, and persimmon,
ambered gold, chartreuse, and mossy greens
struggle to compete with the saturated sapphire sky
marbled with softly suspended cottony clouds.
The intensity of the beauty surrounding me
almost overwhelms my senses.
My eyes and my mind try to absorb it all
as if snapping photos in a continuous burst mode
trying to find a special place to store them
to remember on a dark, dreary day
when my heart can’t remember the bright warmth
or the splendorous display of Autumn’s kaleidoscope of color.
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
Full Moon Raven Watercolor 8×10
Full Moon Calling.
When I saw a recent painting done by a favorite artist/blogger friend, Sharon Mann at Make Art… Magic Happens, I told her I loved it so much, it made me want to paint it.
Sweet Sharon encouraged me to do it!
And so I did – and here it is….. A painting I did at 4AM one morning last week when I couldn’t sleep.
Be sure to check out Sharon’s absolutely amazing original version of this, which she titled, Call of the Raven. Sharon has a style very different from mine, but one I absolutely adore and admire. I love the texture she creates. I love the whimsy of her style. I love the range of subjects she chooses to explore and create. And to top it off, she is simply a lovely person!
Sharon was one of the first to send an absolutely amazing handmade gift when I learned I was to become a grandma over a year ago. She painted a photo of a batch of my cookies and gifted me with the beautiful piece of art that has graced my kitchen wall for several years now. She was one of the first few dozen people to purchase my first published children’s book – and then share it to her friends.
About a year ago, Sharon lost her husband and best friend. It was a life-altering experience for her, and she took a break from blogging until just a few weeks ago. It is so wonderful to have her back blogging and inspiring so many of us artist wannabees!
Thank you for allowing me to paint your art Sharon. I enjoyed it immensely! Thank you for your inspiration, encouragement, but most of all your friendship.
Be sure to check out Sharon’s blog. You are in for a real treat and a wonderful new friend!
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
A Distant Ship from Shore Watercolor
Distant memories.
I’m not much of a landscape artist.
I try, and I struggle, but I’m going to keep on trying.
One day I was practicing skies and clouds as a warm-up,
and came up with this super quick, simple little study.
It just kind of turned into a beach scene
with sea and sand and tall grasses.
It reminds me of lazy summer family vacations spent
when the boys were young (and so were we!)
It reminds me of Nagshead and Corolla and the Outer Banks in North Carolina.
It reminds me of Myrtle Beach and Hilton Head in South Carolina.
It reminds me of Ocean City, New Jersey and Maryland.
Of hot sand and cool breezes and refreshing, salty water.
Distant, joy-filled memories
like this distant ship from shore.
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
#WorldWatercolorMonth
Cloud Thoughts.
Do you ever wonder
if clouds look down on us
and say,
“Hey!
That one is shaped
like a puffer fish!”
-or-
“That one looks like a
Scottish terrier!”
(which is, by the way, what I see in these clouds… go figure!!)
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
I stayed up way too late one night last week
(in fact it became morning)
deciding to play with a box of pastels (Sennelier halves) I bought on a whim
a while back.
It was fun drawing with the soft chalk
and then rubbing and blending
from black to dark blue to lighter blue to white
to create the night sky.
I then took a fine rigger brush
and some watercolor “mud” leftover on my palette
to draw the stark silhouette of a tree in the cold, starry night,
created with Dr. Phil’s Bleed Proof White (which I managed to smudge).
It’s no Van Gough,
but it is a starry night. 🙂
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
September Morning Clouds, Mars, PA
puffy,
cottony,
drifting clouds
truly clamour for my attention.
Without them,
the sky it quite plain,
flat,
usual,
and really rather ordinary.
But when the clouds decorate the sky,
the world is fancy,
it’s round and full and fluffy,
it’s different and unique and unusual
it’s EXTRAordinary.
So go ahead,
get your head up in the clouds.
It’s not a bad place to be
after all.
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
Full Moon, Mars, PA, August, 2016
Full moon musing
illumination of the night
Casting your glow
amidst the ambiguity
searching for clarity
through the unseen
providing a glimpse to
unravel the mystery
transforming darkness
to reveal the light
full moon musing
magic of the night.
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
the creative life in between 