Randi Mackey Art

07/04/2025

I just finished (fact: the paint is still damp) this Marigold watercolor. 11x14” on Arches professional 300 lb watercolor paper and Daniel Smith professional watercolors.

07/02/2025

It is so exciting to get the email that begins with CONGRATULATIONS! “Castiglion Fiorentino” (Valley name, Valle de Chio in Italy has been accepted to the Iowa Watercolor Society’s 48th Annual Exhibition. Thank you to juror, Andy Evanson, AWS, PAPA, RRWS, TWSA, for choosing my watercolor. Thank you also to Anna Conway, Exhibition Chair, for all the work you do to make this exhibition possible. You are both greatly appreciated.

06/12/2025

As much as I love painting and using colored pencils, I can’t seem to paint anything in watercolor for weeks now. Therefore I will not be entering in the Iowa Watercolor Society show this year unless something hits my brain and brushes in the next 2 days! I’m considering taking a workshop this fall that is calling my name and that should help. I’ve been through this before as have many artists. I’m trying to step back from the pressure of creating, even if that feels like giving up.
I did get this watercolor done for beginner/intermediate class for Life-Long Learning at Western Iowa Tech this Fall.

05/21/2025

I started a new watercolor with a new sheet of Arches 300 lb paper from Cheap Joes months ago. After I laid down some watercolor a blemish showed up. I saw some of this when I taught life long learning last month. It was spotty on some parts of some paper. Now i wonder if thecredt of mybsherys in the 5 pack are also blemished. I will continue to paint and if I can’t incorporate or cover it I’ll have to crop that side of the painting.

04/19/2025

I’m very pleased with the fun and the progress we are having painting a hot pink crab apple blossom. Next Saturday is the final day of this watercolor class so check back for the finished paintings. I missed one student’s painting on the far left and one student had to miss today. So sorry. I’ll do better next Saturday and get all 7 paintings in the photo.

04/18/2025

Work in Progress
Back to some watercolor between pet portrait commissions. I’m really enjoying this one with mingling colors
My reference photo
11x15”
Daniel Smith and Cheap Joes Journey professional watercolors
Arches 300lb watercolor paper.
No title yet.

04/17/2025

Another pet portrait picked up by owner. This sweet gal is over the rainbow bridge and I’m so happy to create this. Her owner took one look and said “That’s her!” What a joy that is to hear.
10x8” on Sienna Clairefontaine pastelmat substrate
Faber Castel Polychromos, Pablo’s, Derwent Lightfast and Prismacolors VeriThin pencils
Photo reference used with permission by owner.

04/07/2025

I'm working two different pieces at the same time, one watercolor and one colored pencil. The techniques are entirely different so I have to reset the right side of my brain as I change over. To make it more interesting, the colored pencil is another pet portrait (dog with white hair so lots of detail) and the watercolor is the soft pink crab apple blossom, less detail, more blending. I do like a challenge though, so I'll be posting more photos in a few days. And somehow in all of this, I'll need to switch to a totally different area of my brain to get my taxes worked out as the IRS likes to hear from me yearly. They are such a faithful follower!

Send a message to learn more

03/13/2025

I just finished a colored pencil commission and a different group challenge. My desk is cleared, like really clean and cleared finally! Dilemma: What to start now? Is it time to start another watercolor or another colored pencil or pastel? I will be teaching the Spring WIT Life-Long Learning class starting the first Saturday in April. It ilooks like it's a full class, so I'll be doing lots of watercolor then. Hmmm...I know another CP commission will be coming my way in a couple of weeks. Well, it's a toss-up and in the meantime, my Dove dark chocolate dish is lessening the longer I take to decide. I'm leaning toward a colorful watercolor.

Send a message to learn more

02/27/2025

Here’s the class # to the Western Iowa Tech, Life Long Learning watercolor class that I am teaching the four Saturday mornings in April. It has only two spots left.
We’ll be using the mingling method for the background after we mask the flower. Easy to learn and sooo fun to watch that background emerge. Everyone’s will be different as the paint decides where it wants to settle as we manipulate the paper angles.
Come have some fun with me at WIT.

CPDV-2615-01
Intermediate Watercolor

12/27/2024

Here are the last two pet portraits commissions I did for Christmas presents. Ivy Sue on the left and Jax on the right. I was busy but had a really great time doing these in colored pencil.

12/27/2024

I’m so excited to be able to show this watercolor commission. It’s so special to me because it’s from our trip to Italy in 2018. Back story: I was going to go for a walk but I saw Rich’s father-in-law, Mike, out on the same trail from our villa, but I stopped not wanting to interrupt his private time. Then I snapped the photo thinking I would give it to Laurie, his wife. Six years later I used it for the reference. The next year he went on to his eternal life and everything changed for Laurie. (His ‘backpack’ is actually oxygen.) I had forgotten about the photo until I was looking for landscapes to play with. I painted just the landscape and shared with my family as I usually do. Our son, Rich, asked me to paint it again with Mike in the photo. So here it is. Rich chose the perfect frame and mat. He gave it to Laurie for Christmas and it was an emotional high (with a few tears from the family). These are the commissions I love to do; the ones with a story. Painting this was so much better than just giving her the photo.