Hello,

New SALE in my SHOP from Aug 31 - Sept 7th midnight. Save 20% with code FIRSTSALE.

So thank you for visiting, and hope you enjoy the many art tips in my BLOG, and paintings in my SHOP and just feel blessed while you hang around awhile.

Joanie

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Happy New Year of Expressing Your Creativity

Friday, January 3, 2025

 We did it, believe it or not, we breezed through yet another year. As I age, Time seems ever more mysterious. It does not seem arithematical and precise at all, but more fluid, elastic, alive and willful? And we its mere servants.


But with Intention, and a bit of willingness and effort, I still think we have the upper hand. Rather than letting it, Time, take over and have its way with us, we can each still set a direction, say.....this year I am going to create more, do things that make me happy, and not fall prey to the "Oh i don't have Time"  or "It's too late for me" or "I don't have the talent" myths that abound. 

Do What You Love! And get better at it.....making even More Happiness!

And another intention that I had to buck myself up to affirm was that rather than doom scrolling the news of the day, I choose this coming year (make that four years) to make more Beauty in the world...more paintings that make me smile, more quilts that are cozy and fun, and going back to my Literature roots - read way more books.  I even bought myself a new e-reader for Christmas (Kobo Color! it's dreamy). More lunch and walks with dear friends. More Happiness!

So let's start 2025 with a bunch of new Art Time, Art demos, Art goals, Art exploration. For each of us artists our vision is unique.....some aspire to show in galleries, for many it's just a healing and therapeutic hobby, for some it's just a way of life or a New Beginning! I don't know any other way To Be, but Creative. Everyone is Creative, Infinitely Creative. Just takes some work on our part to unEarth it.

Is Your Art Studio or Space ready for new Inspiration?

Now's the time to dust off and put away the old, and freshen up for new paintings, new inspiration!


Do you keep a DAILY JOURNAL?
This may or may not be your current thing. Its mine, for sure. It's become an ingrained habit, like brushing my teeth, it's part of my coffee routine morning. A simple drawing while waiting for my coffee to drip through. I do this daily, fillling up so many pages each year. I love to just buy my own paper and have FedEx bind it into a fat little spiral journal. If i do nothing else during the day that I consider intentionally creative, I always have that. My trick is to leave it out on the table, my favorite pen in a cup, and sometimes I use a gray pastel pencil to add some simple values. Creativity in 5 minutes or less. Ahhhhh. The practice morphs throughout the year and from year to year, and sometimes I bring out my colored pencils, or watercolor when Color calls me. But most of the time it's just a simple ink drawing. With my fude nib. Bliss.

Here are a few of my daily entries...nothing serious, takes only a few minutes, but it's the joy of pen to paper and sharpening my observation skills that make this a Win. Loose, unfussy, FUN.




I am thinking this year of adding some watercolor. It takes up a bit more space...but just lay out everything on a tray (hellooo thrift store). Small jar of water, mini watercolor set, just one brush, and i have my pencils and fountain pen nearby upright in small mason jar. The trick for me is leave all this out. Or with a tray you can easily move it on and off your table. Just don't put it all away or too far out of sight! 




CLASSES start back up this week! 

Ready to join us, a lovely art community, loads of instruction, and inspiration to boot?  We use water media such as acrylic and watercolor/gouache as our paint, but we explore a plethora of mixed media to enhance and even create our paintings. We are always in a state of exploration, experimentation and exhilaration. 

I am so excited to PAINT again, are you?????

I teach Two Zoom Classes (California time) and One In-Person Class per week

Mondays 10 - noon 

Wednesdays 10 to Noon 

**All Zoom classes are recorded....so no worries if class time doesn't work for you, or if you miss a class due to vacation or whatever.

and one In-Person class Monday afternoons up in Santa Rosa. That one has a wait list. So if you are interested join a Zoom class to be at the top of the list to transfer over when an opening occurs.

For more info on classes, click here.

I also teach privately if you have a specific goal, or are just wanting to learn the basics.

Begin at the Beginning Series

If you are interested in a Begin at the Beginning Art Class, let me know. It would start in February - somewhere between an 8 - 12 week class. I am still putting the lesson material together. The most likely time slot would be Wednesdays 1 to 3pm via Zoom. Please let me know if you are interested. My Goal is that at the end of this series you would be more comfortable joining our weekly classes with some art supplies knowledge, basic drawing, color mixing, and painting skills under your belt.


Blessings,

Joanie




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Design out of the FlyBird's Box.