Johanna Pack
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johannapack.bsky.social
Johanna Pack
@johannapack.bsky.social
430 followers 170 following 89 posts
Artist, mostly watercolor, but I'll try anything. Based in Sacramento, CA, US.
Website www.johannapack.com
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johannapack.bsky.social
The #BlueSkyArtShow theme is #OpenHouse today... so hard to decide.
Here are some things I enjoy. Quercus California (my combo of native California oak trees), Butterfly Escape, Purple Iris, and my unnamed paper cutout in progress when my daughter added a face for me when I wasn't looking.
Abstract painting of an oak tree on 20 8" square pieces of black watercolor paper. Abstract watercolor painting. The middle has red loops with yellow and orange centers. Red, purple and blue wavy lines radiate outward, with blue and purple clouds at the edges. Watercolor painting of a purple bearded iris with a yellow and green background. The iris extends very slightly beyond the edges of the picture. Folded paper cutout in progress, with a woman sitting cross legged on the ground and vines growing around her. Above her head are clouds and the sun. A child has drawn a face on the woman's head.
December 20, 2025 at 6:58 PM
johannapack.bsky.social
#BlueSkyArtShow #FavoriteThings
This is my favorite drawing of one of my favorite people. My daughter as a young child.
Loose sketch of a child's face in blue and red marker
December 14, 2025 at 12:47 AM
johannapack.bsky.social
Tomorrow I will be at Tahoe Elementary in Sacramento at their second annual Makers Market from 10AM-3PM.

And it's indoors. Thought I'd mention that in case you haven't been enjoying the foggy, cold days.
Seven paper bookmarks featuring different artwork by me, fanned out.
December 13, 2025 at 3:01 AM
johannapack.bsky.social
It's too late for #BlueSkyArtShow this weekend, but I thought I would post this #Sky picture anyway.
I called it California Hills in Winter.
A watercolor painting of low, rounded hills with grass and small shrubs receding into the distance. From the right, low clouds stretch over the hilltops, trying to get inland, but the rest of the sky is blue.
December 7, 2025 at 4:13 PM
johannapack.bsky.social
This is my Firebubbles painting for #BlueSkyArtShow #Warmth
This was more of an experiment with materials than anything else.
Abstract watercolor with flames at the bottom reaching towards the top right, where there are blue and purple bubbles.
November 29, 2025 at 5:04 PM
johannapack.bsky.social
For this week's #BlueSkyArtShow I would like to share a photo of my tiny watercolor landscapes in a mini art gallery in my neighborhood.
#Small
Six watercolor landscape paintings in a lighted box with the interior painted white. Two hang vertically from the top and four sit horizontally on little easels.
November 22, 2025 at 6:54 PM
johannapack.bsky.social
I think this painting at China Bar in the Auburn State Recreation Area captures the #Bright light of that summer morning. Why was I choosing to paint while squinting into the sunlight when it was already over 90 degrees Fahrenheit at 9AM? The world may never know. #BlueSkyArtShow
Watercolor painting showing a creek with sunlight sparkling on the ripples flowing from lower left to middle right. There's a small cluster of rocks on the right with some small plants. On the other side, bushes line the bank in front of a steep hill with dried grass and a few backlit trees casting long shadows on the left. On the right is a more distant hill covered in trees. The blue sky shows a pale area where the sunlight is strongest, although the sun is out of the picture, higher in the sky.
November 15, 2025 at 3:30 PM
johannapack.bsky.social
I am pretty happy with this orchid painting.
Watercolor of a pink and white orchid with abstracted foliage from a mottled green background with ink lines drawn over it in black. There's also a small amount of metallic gold watercolor around the flower.
November 13, 2025 at 12:15 AM
johannapack.bsky.social
For #BlueSkyArtShow this week, I am sharing a quick painting from quite a while ago that was inspired by grasses growing near a pile of fallen leaves in the sun.
This week's theme is #Autumn.
Watercolor painting of a rounded orange area with a yellow background and long grass stems backlit by the sun in front, with leaf intersections causing shadows.
November 2, 2025 at 12:48 AM
johannapack.bsky.social
#BlueSkyArtShow
I was trying to figure out what art I have that would showcase the theme for today, #inside

And then I realized, this skull used to be inside of a wildcat.

This was done in carbon dust, a typical medium for medical illustration.
A carbon dust painting of a feline skull of unidentified species on white paper.
October 25, 2025 at 10:16 PM
johannapack.bsky.social
#BlueSkyArtShow
Today's theme is #vertical which makes me realize I focus on horizontal quite a bit.
Anyway, these sunflowers have strong vertical stalks.
Watercolor painting of a sunflower in bloom in a field of sunflowers, against a cloudless sky.
October 18, 2025 at 8:22 PM
johannapack.bsky.social
#BlueSkyArtShow #Glow
Today I am sharing this painting of Grassnut flowers, also known as Ithuriel's Spear, with the glow of sunshine coming through the petals.
Watercolor painting of pale purple flowers with sunlight shining through the petals, on black paper.
October 11, 2025 at 11:09 PM
johannapack.bsky.social
#BlueSkyArtShow
Today's theme is #Relax
Years ago, I painted my husband on a vacation, playing video games on his laptop. It was such a peaceful day.
Watercolor painting of a man in profile, facing right, sitting in a wood chair with arms, his feet stretched under a small wood table with a laptop. He has a goatee and is wearing a blue hoodie and tan shorts. His feet are in white socks. Daylight from the right makes a brass lamp cast a shadow on the wall. There's also a low table and a couch behind the man, as well as a rectangular framed mirror.
October 4, 2025 at 5:43 PM
johannapack.bsky.social
For today's #BlueSkyArtShow theme #TheRoad I am sharing one that I didn't really like, but looking at it again I see there are aspects that I appreciate. The flowers on the right are a very pale variety of Ithuriel's Spear, aka Grassnut.
Watercolor painting showing a sunny day on a ranch road. There's a sliver of an old rusted tractor on the left and a woman crouching to take a photo in the low grass. A road cuts through from the bottom right, shaded by sparse trees on a hillside. Pale blue-violet flowers are growing in the longer grasses under the trees.
September 28, 2025 at 12:10 AM
johannapack.bsky.social
#BlueSkyArtShow today's theme is #angles
So I thought I would share this quick painting I made to experiment with metallic watercolor a few years ago.
A metallic watercolor painting on black paper showing a large room with light streaming through a stained glass double door with an archway on top. Two pillars support the ceiling on either side of the door.
September 21, 2025 at 5:00 AM
johannapack.bsky.social
Last weekend, I was at UC Davis for the YoloArts.org August farm visit.
Bringing art & agriculture together, and here, ag science.
It was hot enough that my phone decided to stop taking pictures, but otherwise a great day.
Scientists are out there trying to improve food, medicine, life...
Partially completed watercolor painting of a path through plants, with a tree in the right foreground. The painting is sitting on a wooden picnic table with a set of brushes. The path depicted in the watercolor painting. The foreground is in the shade. A close up photo of small white flowers, with a metal farm gate in the background. A close up of pink sweet peas. The top half of the image is distorted by something on the lens.
August 30, 2025 at 9:30 PM
johannapack.bsky.social
Here's an old one for the #BlueSkyArtShow theme #Shiny
I had a boring temp job at the time, so I drew this at work.
Pencil drawing of my left hand holding shiny chrome baoding balls, showing my reflection in an office reception area with fluorescent lights.
August 30, 2025 at 6:41 PM
johannapack.bsky.social
Today's #BlueSkyArtShow is #pieces which seems like a good fit for my Oak Tree painting that was done on 20 8" squares of black watercolor paper.
Abstract version of an oak tree, where the wood is represented by lines and shapes in warm tones, and the leaves are painted or pressed from actual leaves and hand carved stamps in cool colors. The leaves are from Valley Oak, Live Oak, and Blue Oak species primarily, which are native to Northern California.
August 16, 2025 at 10:14 PM
johannapack.bsky.social
#BlueSkyArtShow #Smooth
I called this one Molten Wings...
July 20, 2025 at 6:37 AM
johannapack.bsky.social
One of the things I love about living in California is the fresh produce all year. But that wouldn't be possible without thousands of hardworking farm laborers.
Close up watercolor painting of one sunflower in a field on a cloudless day
July 13, 2025 at 3:49 AM
johannapack.bsky.social
#BlueSkyArtShow #SummerDaze
I called this one August Sun.
Wavy lines in orange, red, and yellow with hints of green and blue that are more frequent farther from the center.
July 12, 2025 at 8:18 PM
johannapack.bsky.social
Ironically missed the #BlueSkyArtShow for June 28th with the theme of #GetOutside because I was, in fact, outside painting.
Work in progress from Rodegerdts farm in Yolo County.
June 30, 2025 at 5:11 PM
johannapack.bsky.social
Just over two years of work...
Researched the native oaks of Northern California and picked leaves to use as inspiration & stamps.
Painted everything white first for contrast, then added color.
Replaced a few squares when I got lost in detail & forgot to consider the composition.
Stylized oak tree painted on 20 8-inch squares of black watercolor paper. Leaves are in blues and greens, wood painted in warm tones.
June 21, 2025 at 8:54 PM
johannapack.bsky.social
#BlueSkyArtShow
Looks like today's theme is #narrow
I called this one Pinchpoint.
Abstract watercolor painting. From the top left, it transitions from yellow to pink to blue, with a narrow spot between the yellow and pink sections. The background is pale echoes of the foreground colors.
June 21, 2025 at 4:12 PM
johannapack.bsky.social
#Choose20Paintings
Critical Race Theory by Jonathan Harris
White person with blonde hair in a red shirt with small white stars on the shoulders rolling white paint over a painting of civil rights leaders, including Harriet Tubman, Martin Luther King Jr, and Malcom X.
June 18, 2025 at 5:46 AM