A large peony day

A large peony day 

watercolor 

9x12 inches 

$170 

Some days just cry out to be large peony days and this is one of those.

A rose and a book

Confetti rose 

11x7 watercolor 

$130

It is fun to play with all the flakes of color around the rose.
Below is the proof cover of my Three Step watercolor book which will be for sale soon! 

 

That's how it got its name

Emily 

     

A pet friend

Marge is the pet friend of the day 

watercolor 

7x11 

$130 

Tomorrow is the Feb. Free painting giveaway. 

Figgy has landed

The Figgy has landed and is the pet friend of the day. Now that I know him I could paint him better.
the next free giveaway is this Friday.

My heart restored

My heart restored 

watercolor 

7.9x7.9 

matted 12x12 

$130

Yesterday our new rescue dog came to my rescue. His name is Fig Newton and he is a love muffin of a collie boy. He is out on a walk now . So far he is fitting in nicely. I can tell he will be a great companion to me.

What I have learned so far:
Even humans need a rescue from time to time.

Celebration day !

Celebration day! 

7.9x7.9 

watercolor 

$130 

Today is the day my new collie boy comes home to stay. Tom has gone off to meet our (maybe) new dog. If everything goes well, by tonight there will be a new collie boy in this house and I will have a new friend to love and take care of. So I am celebrating in anticipation .

I can't say that any more

SOLD

I love Daily paintworks. It is my university of learning and my home base of friends and art companionship. I always say one thing when people ask me about selling there and as of today I can no longer say "that thing". 

Which is a good thing! Ha! on me

A rose in temperature

A rose in temperature 

watercolor 

7.9x7.9 

$130 

I felt it today for maybe the second time ever. The temperature change in color as you apply it. This is an exciting development. It could mean more tools to use.

Weekly challenge

The weekly challenge at the Daily paintworks was posted by Robin Rosenthal. The task was to paint each object individually by mixing the colors ahead of time. This is not the way I work at all. So I felt very hampered. But I think the point was to find those color changes and points of reflection treat them with sensitivity. I am not sure if I did this right.l I do think it looks different and so I probably learned more than I think I did.
So much learning happens when you do not realize it is occurring. Don't you think so?

Buck is sold

Buck is sold along with some gift cards to my collie mentor Diane.
Today is Saturday and I am trying my first scheduled post ( automatically) . If things go correctly this post should appear even though I am not at the key board at this moment. Kelley MacDonald just told me about this wonderful feature.
What I have learned so far :
Ask for what you need and the answers will come.

The pet friend game and how to play

The pet and home friend game and how to play 

How? 

Send a photo to Jowatercolor@gmail.com 

 

Where? 

 

Everyday I paint and post a picture of a pet or a house on my Facebook Fan page at Jo Mackenzie watercolors. 

What? 

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

Why? Because it is fun

Winter evening

Winter evening 

watercolor 

7x11 inches 

$130
This is my favorite kind of painting to do. Very similar to a tractor. Just value shapes and pieces to put next to each other. 

Building a wall

I am building a wall at the head of my bed. I have paintings from my painting buddies all over this house. It is time to line them up and start taking names. So with my laser leveler I have this arrangement completed.
Pictured are Kaethe Bealer, Linda Hunt,  Darla Mcdowell and Karen Johnston and Robin Rosenthal .  But I have more many many more. I put them up with those click strips. It was easy and no framing required.
More to come.

Mike and Max

Mike and Max
watercolor 

7.9x7.9 

matted 12x12 

$130

These pet friend look cozy.

Kira

Kira 

watercolor 

7.9x7.9 

matted 12x12 

$130 

Kira is the pet friend of the day. This one is for Linda P.

Cream cheese and jelly

Cream cheese and jelly 

watercolor 7.9x7.9 

matted 12x12 

$130

Time to change things up so that I can see things clearly again

Give up yet?

Give up yet

watercolor 

7.9x7.9 

matted 12x12 

Give up yet? No . No I do not give up yet.  I will never give up. I don't care how many times I try this view of Emily's head someday I will get it right.

I made one more value pass.

Bennie

Bennie 

watercolor 7.9x7.9 

matted 12x12
$130

Bennie is the pet friend of the day. The next free painting giveaway is Feb 28th. 

For the Collie Rescue League of New England

SOLD

For CRLNE 

7.9x7.9 

watercolor 

Nothing says happiness  like a warm puppy. Especially a warm collie puppy.

E.M.I.L .Y.

Emily 

That's more like it. 

Decision Day Or D-Day

Decision day or D-Day. I have made a decision today which I will share later....The reason I mention it is because art got me "there". By painting myself I remembered who I am and what I am about. I forgive myself for how deeply this picture depicts my inner self. Not the usual happy self but the inner self who is resolute and relentless.
OK enough drama..decision made ....move on.

Gracie

Gracie 

watercolor 

7.9x7.9 

matted 12x12 

$130 

Gracie is the Jo Mackenzie watercolor pet friend of the day. 

Her eyes where bright green because of the flash so I had to improvise. I wonder what other people do in this situation. I call it the red eyes , green eyes problem.

Rectangle rose

Rectangle rose 

watercolor 7x11 

matted 11x14 

$130 

Roses seem to require a weird type of patting and pulling of the paint across the surface but it has to be gentle almost a "kiss" or else it looks like a line not an edge. 

I wonder if working from live roses would help?

A snow day rose

A snow day rose 

watercolor 7.9x7.9 matted 12x12 

$130

What I have learned so far...finding the underlying pattern is key.

Valentines Day

Valentines day 

watercolor 

7.9x7.9 

matted 12x12 

$130 

I painted this today because the painting of a rose I wanted to purchase is out of my range. So is my ability to paint such a rose but within my own range this is good one and I stand by it.

Two cats from yesterday

Two cats from yesterday 

watercolor 

7.9x7.9 

matted 

12x12 

$130

I finished up these two cats this morning while shoveling was happening. We did get a lot of snow. Snow day for everyone!

Step one

I only had time for step one of a pet friend today. I massed my darks and will work on the mid-tones tomorrow. Today I have a long drive in the snow. It will be slow going.It will be nice to get home and have this day behind me.
More later...
What I have learned so far:
The challenge on this one will be to make sure it looks like two cats not one cat with two heads.

Tiffany house

SOLD

Diane's house sold today. I have a  fond feeling for this one. I learned a big NOTAN lesson on this one.It will be one of the illustrations in my book . Speaking of the book it is in the proofing stage so it is close to being "borned".

A friend of pets ..not a "pet friend".

Today we have a cross eyed cat and a gap toothed artist. Hey..nobody is perfect.

The cross eyed cat

The cross eyed cat 

watercolor 

7.9x7.9 

$130 

The elephant in the room is that yes indeed Greta ( pictured here) is a cross eyed cat. 

What is an artist to do? What would you have done?