Pet friend step 1

I did not finish a pet friend today. I did manage to do step one . Massing  in my darks . I will finish it tomorrow. I know the owner will recognize it from just this much information. I hope it doesn't make her cry.

The pet friend game and how to play

SOLD

The pet friend game and how to play 

How? 

Send a photo to jowatercolor@gmail.com 

Where?

I will post a painting of your pet on my Facebook fan page. 

What ? 

Once a month a winner is picked at random to receive a free painting. 

Why? 

Because it is fun 

If you do not have a pet send a picture of a plant or flower instead. Once you enter you will be entered automatically each month. The next giveaway is Feb. 28th 

Thanks for playing!

Faces and places 7

Rhiannon 

watercolor 

7.9x7.9 

watercolor 

$130
This is my first picture from an internet friend. I do  not know Rhiannon personally but I fell in love with her green? Blue hair? I hope she like it.

The thirty in thirty challenge

Here are some of my favorites from the thirty in thirty challenge. I paint too much so every month is at least a thirty painting month for me. Still thirty good ones is challenge for sure.

Faces and places 5

Faces and places 6

7.9x7.9 

watercolor 

What I have learned so far......start with mid-tones and build both up and out along the value spectrum.

Kane

Kane 

watercolor 

7.9x7.9 

SOLD

$130 

Today's pet fiend of the day is Kane. He is a Siberian Husky. This one is for Nancy R.

Faces and places number 4

This is my husband Tom . I am working on Faces and places along with peonies and pet friends. If you want me to paint your face ( just for fun) send me a photo using natural light ..no Flash photography and I will try my very best.

This months winner of a free painting is Cynthia and her dog Sophie. The next free painting giveaway is Feb. 28th.
Thanks for playing the pet friend game.

What ? Are you kidding?

This is the face I made when I called to place my yearly paint brush order. I was told Kolinsky sable brushes are no longer sold in the United States! These brushes are like an extension of my hand and arm when I am working. What am I going to do when mine wear out. 

Any answers would be most welcome . Until then I will making this face and gosh darn it I hope it doesn't stay this way.

Faces and places number 3

Emily number 3 

watercolor 

7.9x7.9 

An art buddy and I are both trying to paint this picture of Emily. I am using the Value Finder she is using her years of practice and wise judgment. My bets are on her.

What I have learned so far : 

Start with the lightest darks you can think of because you can't lighten it up later.

Hunter

Hunter 

7.9x7.9 

watercolor 

$130 

I just heard of Hunter's passing today. I hope he is sitting on Pete Seeger's lap .

The cat pack

The cat pack 

watercolor 

7.9x7.9 

matted 12x12 

$130
SOLD
These are Cindy Stone's cats ....she lost one of them today. A beautiful gray cat I have painted a few times. I am so sad about that. She sent this photo to me and I thought the body language would speak volumes if I could capture it.

Pet Friend

Miss Fang

watercolor 

7.9x7.9 

$130 

The Jo Mackenzie watercolor pet friend of the day is Miss Fang. She has a fang hanging off her lower jaw. But who's judging. All pet friends are wonderful. Coming soon you will see a no eyed dog and cross eyed cat.

Law and Order

Law and Order 

7.9x7.9 

watercolor 

$130

Just like the television series Law and Order "Peony Quest has had several editions . This is the 2014 edition. No new cast members but a new beginning . I will be taking down old peony pictures and adding the new crop as they begin to emerge. I already think we are off to a good start. 

The goal of Peony Quest is to find the underlying structure of the flower not the individual petals. 

The Snow Challenge

The snow challenge

watercolor 

7x10 inches

$130 

The weekly challenge at Daily Paintworks is to paint a picture with snow in it. They provided this picture so I used it. I think I will paint a different scene later. 

Kyle

Susan A. sent me this picture of the pet friend picture she purchased of Kyle all framed up . I think it looks great. Black background and clean modern lines compliment the watercolor nicely.
What a great job. Thank you so much for sharing this with me Susan and Kyle. I am going to frame up a few of my favorites this way. Classic presentation can never fail .

A forever home

Otis is off to his forever home in Texas. His family says it is almost as cold there as it is here in Vermont. 

Haylee

Haylee

watercolor 7.9x7.9 

matted 12x12 

$130 

Haylee is the pet friend of the day. This one is for Joy. The next free painting giveaway is next Thursday.

Faces and Places entry 1

Julie's Daughter 

7.9x7.9 

watercolor 

I have challenged myself to paint faces an places or maybe it is faces "in" places. 

The first one up is Julie Kirkland's daughter. Painting for another artist is a challenge indeed. Especially one with Julie's skills . But she has faith in me and she is the first person who mentioned the word NOTAN to me and that changed my painting life. 

I jokingly refer to her as my art
fairy god mother because she allowed me to go to the ball.

Creative color challenge

This is a response to this weeks creative color challenge at the Daily paintworks. If you provide the right values then a painting should show your subject matter even though the local color may be really nutty as it is here.
Thank you to Patti Mollica who has written many great painting books one in particular on color that I keep nearby at all times.
She drew the map on how to solve this challenge.
Oh and another tip I learned from her....if you use saturated color for your main focus think about using a neutral as a background to make things pop.

News !

This is Fig Newton or "Figgy". We are close to adopting this fellow from the Collie Rescue League of New England. He is six years old and sounds like he could become a great regular family member. I have missed my collie boy who died in late Oct. and Figgy needs a home. 

 

I am so excited.........I hope he likes me. I already love him. 

Emily project...or time for a new face

The Emily project needs to change to include new faces.
I hate to subject any of you to my mug. ......I could work on my husband Tom's face but he is ruggedly handsome and he has never sat for a picture unless it was for a CD cover....so let's see......what to do what to do.

What I have learned so far:

The Emily project needs to become the "faces project".

3 Steps To Otis

Otis 

7.9x7.9 

watercolor
$130 

SOLD

Looking at Otis after the darkest darks have been massed. Finding the mid-tones through the red plexiglass finder.

Otis step one ...massing the darks

The Emily project

Enough said....This is the twenty something-ist picture of Emily I have attempted in the last two weeks. I think I finally got where I wanted to go.
Now I need to solidify this knowledge before it disappears into the wind.

What I have learned so far.
Stay focused on the goal and "believe Tnkerbell believe".

High Noon New England

High Noon New England 

watercolor 

7.9x7.9 

$130 

And there it is high noon in New England in January where sunshine is hard to come by. did you blink? You missed it!

Weekly Challenge

The weekly Daily Paintworks challenge is being hosted by" Tuxedo Tuesday's "
artist Patti Vincent. This is my entry.
What I have learned so far:
This may not be a creative enough response. I will wait and see what others do and I may re-enter the challenge with a second piece.

The recipe ( that is a wink and a nod to the Waltons)

The recipe for making Baileys Irish cream is this
1  and 2/3 cups Irish whiskey
1 cup 1/2 and 1/2
1 14 ounce can of sweetened condensed milk
2 tablespoons chocolate syrup
2 tsp. Vanilla extract
1tsp instant coffee. MIx in a blender for 30 seconds. I didn't do this I used a whisk and a bowl and that is it. It will last for two months in an air tight bottle in your fridge.

Yeah! New skill of the day.

Making Bailey's

Today I do not have a painting because I was in the kitchen making Bailey's Irish cream from scratch. It worked perfectly....The recipe is quite easy to follow and no baking was required.
Now it is time to get back to the studio.

The last five pounds

The Emily project continues.I am determined to keep trying to figure this out.
I would say I am past the "storming" and in the middle of the "norming"....I must not give up because it has to come together eventually. History tells me this is how it usually happens.
The temptation to give up is enormous. I call this state of mind "The last five pounds". You know that last five pounds you can't loose no matter how hard you try . 

What I have learned so far :
The last five pounds is a state of mind and a metaphor

The steps to paint a kitty

Cote
watercolor 7x10 inches
matted 11x14 inches

$130

Final step 

This is Cote  the same cat as yesterday but today we can see his markings much better . 

Step two putting in the midtones. 

Putting in the darkest darks and the lightest lights...step 1

Pet friend of the day ( a two stepper)

Cote is the pet friend of the day.
This was a two step painting. It began with massing my darks and then putting in the mid tones.

A post card from Vermont today

A post card from Vermont today 

watercolor 

7x10 

matted 11x14 

$130

This is a postcard from Vermont today. This is what it looks like. There really is a lot of color out there. Lots of violet and blue and orange. 

Bailey

Bailey 

watercolor 7.9x7.9 

matted 12x12 

$130
This is the Jo Mackenzie watercolor pet friend of the day. This is Bailey and it is for Pattie. I spent lots of time on the internet looking for a collie puppy. Sigh! 
I am starting to think I may not have another collie in my life....but it could also be "dark January" talking.