Two Things To Share

Sensitive 

watercolor 

7.9x7.9 inches 

Matted 12x12 inches 

This photograph doesn't show the subtle shading I got in real life. You will just have  to trust me on this. I walked over this rose with my eyes value spot by value spot. I know it fold by fold like a map. I lost my way only once but I won't say where. 

After that the only way to unwind is with a pet friend. I call this one Direct Stare for obvious reasons. 

Christmas Day Rose

Christmas Day Rose 

watercolor 

7.9x7.9 inches 

matted 12x12 inches 

Yesterday I was too heavy handed in my treatment of the rose. The petals must be stroked like the skin on a child's cheek and handled with the care of a loved ones feelings. Today I managed to do that and still get my desired value range.

2 Yellow Roses

2 yellow Roses 

2 Yellow Roses caught my attention today. I would say these are fueled by slices of chocolate cake with chocolate frosting. I think there is caffeine in there or maybe it is the sugar. I feel like I have been shot from a cannon! 

Yesterday was my Birthday and I want to say thank you to everyone who made me feel special and like I "mattered". 

 

 

Peace

This old silver flecked ornament and I are ready to say "peace".
One more gold one to go and then it is back to regular subjects that don't shine and do have eyes and tails.
      I also have a photo to share from El's Manning. She has been so generous in sharing resources with me . I had to share with her.

Sharing and connecting is power.

Jo and Scooter

Jo and Scooter 

Sometimes a story moves you to action. This is Jo and Scooter ( Jo is not me). Scooter is 13 plus years and clearly having his last days . I was asked to paint him. I felt a huge urgency to do so. I wanted to do  my best work for him and the family that loves him so much. 

I was given many photographs to work from. This is not the one I chose. But this one moved me because of the relationship between human and pet. I wanted to see if I could capture that "Kizmet". I stand by this one . I think I accomplished my goal.

Human and pet friends ...there is no beginning or end ...it is all about love.

Blue Ornament for 2015

Blue Ornament for 2015

&.9x7.9 

matted 12x12 inches watercolor 

The Jo Mackenzie Watercolor painting of the day is a blue ornament for the year 2015. I see from this that I have learned how to "lean in " and find my darkest elements and how to use neutrals to make surrounding colors pop. That is good progress for this year.

Ornament for 2015

Ornament for 2015 

Today the the Jo Mackenzie watercolor subject of the day is an ornament for the year 2015. Each year I like to paint something again to see how much I have grown or learned from one year to another. It is a diary entry of sorts. 

Quick Christmas Challenge

Quick Christmas Challenge 

watercolor 

7x10 inches 

Today the Daily Paintworks challenge is called the Quick Christmas challenge. Anyone can enter. I decided to use the photograph they provided and make a quick stab at instant Christmas decorating. 

I did make Christmas cookies yesterday. Butter and sugar cookies that made the house smell great. 

My first batch didn't work. But my second did. Kind of the way things go in this studio too. I seldom get it right on my first try .

Build it don't paint it.

Yellow Rose 4 

7.9x7.9 

matted 12x12 inches 

I have made a yellow rose discovery. You don't actually paint these things you build them in layers . Slowly as value shapes reveal themselves. I got lost a few times and will try a few more but I think I get the yellow violet thing now. Progress has been made.

This painting can be found HERE for now. 

Another Rose Challenge

Another Rose Challenge 

watercolor 7.9x7.9 

Matted 12x12 inches 

Some paintings just fall into place this one did not! It is my submission to the Daily Paintworks Challenge hosted by wonderful painter @Kaethe Bealer. Yellow is the hardest value for me to determine so when I saw the return of the rose challenge in yellow form my blood ran cold. ( yes. I take this all very personally).
My first attempt was a real clunker ..over painted and dead on arrival. I thought about strategy all night and decided that yellow needed to be grayed with violet. Whites needed to be preserved finding neutrals that were gray but still in the yellow family had to be found.
So here it is a two day effort. It is honestly the best I can do at this point. I stand by this rose.

Jack in Three Steps

Jack 

watercolor 

7.9x7.9 

matted 12x12 inches 

This painting can be found HERE

 

The photograph of Jack had his left side almost entirely in dark shadow . I needed to create his left side from what I have learned from painting hundreds of dogs.  The other challenge was to work from my lightest washes into my darkest ones. If you follow this blog you know that is not the way I usually work. But this painting required it.

Below are the earlier steps 

Nemo

Nemo 

watercolor 

7.9x7.9 inches 

Matted 12x12 inches 

Yesterday I asked for photographs of pet friends to work from. I was overwhelmed with the response and now have tons of pictures to work from. I started with Nemo the collie but I also have turtles, chickens and many other dog and cat breeds to sift through. 

Thank you to Caitlin for sharing her puppy Nemo with me to start things off. 

Here is the first step below 

Step one was to block in the darkest value shapes.

A Happy Sack

A Happy Sack 

Watercolor 

10x7 inches 

 Painting is clearly something that has to be done in this house. Sometimes finding something to paint is not even a question. Everything is "paint worthy". 

The real point is this