Backyard Sunrise, Mars, PA – December, 2017
At Sunrise Each Day.
Your luminous rays
wake me from slumber.
Disturbing my dreams
and coaxing my eyes open.
But how can I deny
the bright, shining gift you bring.
Renewal and promise
at sunrise each day.
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
Backyard Path – Mars, PA August 2017
The Right Path.
If it was done with kindness,
It it was filled with love,
If it took humility and courage,
If it made you laugh,
If it made you jump out of bed in the morning,
If it brought tears of joy to your eyes,
If it caused a lump in your throat,
If it made you sweat,
If it required sacrifice…
You are likely on the right path.
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
Into the Woods in our Backyard June 25, 2017 Mars, PA
“I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived.”
― Henry David Thoreau, Walden
Yesterday was one of those
most amazingly glorious
Summer Sundays.
No agenda,
bright sunshine,
cool breeze.
I woke early,
sipped my coffee on the deck
with the birds and the rising sun.
I made old-fashioned macaroni salad
to chill and be just right
to accompany grilled burgers for dinner.
I took my watercolors
out onto the patio,
and I painted for hours.
And when it was time to move a bit,
Charlie and I headed to the woods
in our backyard.
We hiked until we got lost,
and then we found our way out through a neighbor’s backyard
on an intersecting street to ours.
It was a sauntering walk
with stops to breathe it all in, smell the fresh air,
and commune with nature.
The woods are a great place
to learn how truly small you
and your problems really are.
It’s a place to be small,
but come out feeling bigger
and better and complete.
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
A Walk in the Woods Watercolor – 8×10 Fabriano 140lb Cold Press
A Walk in the Woods.
I took some time one evening this week
to splash some paint in a way that is a challenge to me – landscape.
Not allowing myself to get bogged down in the details,
and following the inspiration of Andrew Geeson once again,
I created this little painting I call
“A Walk in the Woods.”
One week from today, a very special couple –
our youngest son and our future daughter-in-law
will be taking a very important walk…
A walk down the aisle.
A walk into a new life.
A shared life.
A lifetime commitment
to each other.
I am so happy for them
and cannot wait to share in this walk with them.
Love you dearly
Nick and Liz!
Cheers & Hugs,
Mom
And Happy Earth Day! A landscape painting is only fitting for #EarthDay!
Into the Woods Watercolor 9×11″ Arches 140lb Rough
Into the Woods in Watercolor.
As I dream and wait for the trees in our backyard woods to transform into their Spring and Summer beauty from their current state of brown dormant sticks (recently covered in snow yesterday!) , I found a tiny bit of time late one evening this week to spend in my art studio painting a simple “spontaneous” landscape watercolor painting.
I haven’t had much time for art lately, so it was fun to create this little scene by completely wetting down the paper first and just throwing on some Cerulean Blue, Olive Green, Raw Sienna, Burnt Sienna and Quinacridone Gold and then twisting and turning the paper to allow it to form a soft background.
Once dry, I used a rigger brush in the same colors to add a bit of definition here and there. The total time spent on this was less than 30 minutes, but it felt great to paint. I was inspired by Steve Mitchell’s Spontaneous Watercolor Landscape to try this technique and hope to do it again. This is the kind of painting I really love to do – spontaneous, somewhat abstract, and very relaxing.
Happy Weekend! Hope you find time to do the things you love!
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
It was all a blur…
until I looked closely.
I stopped and closed my eyes,
and I took a deep breath.
I exhaled slowly,
and then I opened my eyes.
And there it was…
I saw the beauty.
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
Foggy
When life gets foggy,
and my thoughts are foggy,
and my eyes are foggy early in the morning,
I step outside
and look to nature
and listen to how she handles it.
And I hear the owls hoot
and the turkeys gobble
and the birds tweet,
and everything
seems much more
clear.
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
Snowy Pine Tree Way, Mars, PA – December, 2016
Just be…
whatever it is
you were meant to be.
Just be.
During this time of year, so many of us push ourselves beyond what any human is capable of doing.
Others suffer with stinging depression because their life is not like the “Hallmark” Christmas card or movie.
Remember to just be…
It’s okay…
It is actually more than okay!
It is what you are meant to be.
Let it go – let it be – and just be.
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
“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
Living surrounded by woods is such a nice way to share our home with the beauty and the beasts nature provides.
I think this girl is beautiful as she prances along the edge of the woods and our yard.
Our furry son, on the other hand, thinks these “beasts” need shooed away and makes it his mission to bark and chase and keep them out of “Mikey’s yard.”
So while Mikey was barking and acting tough and big and ferocious (to no avail!), I grabbed my camera and caught a shot of this girl in the shadows of the woods yesterday…..
and I told Mikey we are allowed to share our home with her… (I just wish she wouldn’t eat my hostas!)
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
the creative life in between 