Saturday, October 31, 2015

Fall is Falling and a Winner for the Month


Fall is Falling 
01x7 inch watercolor 

This one was full of turning the paper over and over and over. Painting sideways and upside down most of the time. You have to go where the painting tells you to go. 


Kerry Wells and her sheltie are the winners of this months free painting giveaway. The next giveaway day will be November 30th.

Thursday, October 29, 2015

Person Of Interest


I call this one "A person of Interest". It is three stepper. Step one is below. 


Tuesday, October 27, 2015

Sunlight Face


Sunlight Face 
watercolor 
7.9x7.9 
matted 12x12 inches 

This one went in the bin before I decided to paint her as if she was a rose. That changed everything. I could feel the skin under my brush . I could feel the temperature and plane changes. Below is step one. I need to remember this beginning place . Sometimes it is better to build a painting from the middle out. 


Monday, October 26, 2015

Yellow Petals


Yellow Petals 
Watercolor 
7.9x7.9 inches 
matted 12x12 inches 
This painting can be found here 
 
I have been asked to teach a class. That makes me think about how to talk about what I do on a regular basis. I am not sure I have to vocabulary. The challenge is to break it down into smaller steps that I can describe accurately. 

Thursday, October 22, 2015

Ruby


Ruby 
watercolor 
7.9x7.9 matted 12x12 inches 
Ruby is a neighbor and I thank her mother for letting me use this recent birthday picture of her. It can be found here

Wednesday, October 21, 2015

Fifty Yard Stare 2


Fifty Yard stare 2 
Today I went for a likeness and I think I got it. 
I simplified forms and paid attention to value shapes . Nothing else mattered. 
You can compare yesterdays and todays. I have not doubt today is better. 

Tuesday, October 20, 2015

NImbus


Nimbus 
watercolor 
10x7 inches 
Today the pet friend of the day is smiley Nimbus. 
The pet friends are coming along nicely. I have several lined up. In the meantime there is lots to be done to get ready for the snow that is sure to fall this week or next.

Monday, October 19, 2015

Wall Calendars



The 2016 Jo Mackenzie Watercolors Wall Calendars are in! 
A great place to write down those pesky appointments that are starting to pour in for the new year. 
The calendar is 8 1/2 inches by 11 inches and is printed on premium glossy card stock. 
Click HERE to order 
Shipping and handling are FREE! 

Sunday, October 18, 2015

Three Color Challenge


The Daily Paintworks challenge this week is to paint a picture using only three colors. I chose Alizarin Crimson, Aureolin and Ultra Marine blue . That is my "go to " triad. I could use just those three colors for everything . I forget sometimes to go back to basics and start from what I know to be true. 
Maybe it is like cooking. Simple ingredients sometimes produce better results.

Saturday, October 17, 2015

A Pet Friend and a Rose


Nathan 
Watercolor 
7.9x7.9 
matted 12x12 inches 
Nathan is the Jo Mackenzie watercolor pet friend of the day. Thanks for playing the pet friend game. If you want to enter the free giveaway here is how to do it. click here 
 
 

A High Key Rose 
watercolor 
7x10 inches 


 

Wednesday, October 14, 2015

Peony of Fluff


Peony of Fluff 
Watercolor 
7.9x7.9 inches 
matted 12x12 inches 
Today is a peony day because I need to go into the land of value shape and color. It is so intense to be in that world making decisions that are subjective but also logical. There is no emotion there just judgments to be made about how dark or light something is relative to everything surrounding it. That part I have down. The part that challenges me more is how to create colors that perform as neutrals without making the over all form dull. There has to be a motion to the color arrangements that fool the eye into believing there is life there. Something that lives and breathes,flutters and rises up to the light.

Monday, October 12, 2015

A Flower To Start The Day


A flower To Start The Day 
7x10 inches 
watercolor 
Matted 11x14 inches 
This painting shows how you can use neutrals (like gray) to make your primary colors more vivid. The actual painting is brighter in intensity than I could capture in a photograph. I do not know why "reds" photograph so poorly.

Sunday, October 11, 2015

A peony and a pet friend





Peony
watercolor 7.9x7.9 inches



Pet Friend of the Day

Today was a peony and pet friend day. Those are probably my favorite days.
I am waiting for the Daily Paintworks challenge of the week announcement. It hasn't been published yet. I wonder if it will be a peony and a pet friend? Oh ...probably not.

Saturday, October 10, 2015

Sadie


Sadie 
Watercolor 
7.9x7.9 inches 
matted 12x12 inches 
Today the Jo Mackenzie Watercolor pet friend of the day is named Sadie. This one is for Kelly Donovan. 
If you want to see your pet become the pet friend of the day send a photograph to 
jowatercolor@gmail.com and I will paint and post it. 
This painting can be found on the pet friend page of my website HERE

Friday, October 9, 2015

Painting Inside Out


Longing 
watercolor 
7.9x7.9 inches 
Matted 12 x12 inches
Today I painted from the inside out. Let me explain. Below you will see steps one and two. I usually paint from my darkest value shapes to my lightest but this dog was full of mid-tone planes. I wanted to find colors for all those changes . So that is what I did below in step 1.
 

 


Once this was done. I mixed up some dark values to place in the shadow shapes. Trying to not cover all my careful mid-tone painting in the process. That is below in Step 2 
 
 

Wednesday, October 7, 2015

Patience is Furry


Patience is Furry 
9x12 watercolor 
The pet friend of the day was established in step one which you can inspect below. This painting can be found here


Tuesday, October 6, 2015

K K


K K 
7.9x7.9 
watercolor 
Matted 12x12 inches. This is the pet friend of the day. This one is for Diane M. It can be found HERE
 
Yesterday I entered the pretty dress challenge at the Daily Paintworks  with this response 

 


I call it  Pretty girl in her summer dress. 
 

Sunday, October 4, 2015

Not a Youngster


The pet friend of the day is not a youngster.  He is in his "golden years". 
On Facebook we are having a Pop UP Giveaway. If you are reading this you are already on my mailing list and  are automatically entered into the giveaway. I will send an "e" blast to announce the winner when my Fan page gets to 6300 likes. Why 6300 likes? 
It sounded like a good number to me.

Saturday, October 3, 2015

The Hound 2


The Hound 2 
watercolor 
9x12 inches 

This is my second portrait of this noble hound dog . 
I am working toward larger sizes bit by bit with the emphasis on color temperature. This painting can be found HERE

Thursday, October 1, 2015

The Winner For Sept.


The winner of the free monthly painting giveaway for the month of September is Britt Lewis and her dog Blaze. 
Congratulations!