APRIL Round-Up!

It’s the end of the month so you know what that means! It’s time for a new edition of my monthly round-up where I share tidbits of what I’ve been up to in the month plus recommendations I thought you might be interested in as a fellow creative and well friend of mine :)

I’m finding it hard to believe we are at the end of April but it is true (as I am writing this article that is). You might have heard that I was teaching in Santa Fe and whoo-wee, that was super fun but there also were a few unforeseen circumstances that happened before my class, the biggest one being that Jason got sick again and landed in the hospital the afternoon before we were to leave (the next day at 4 am). We were going to make it a first-time cross-country road trip. Over the next several hours waiting in the ER as they ran tests, I tried to remain calm and figure out what I needed to do to be sure he was okay and to fulfill my obligation to my students.

It turned out he was going to have to remain in the hospital so the journey to Santa Fe from NC was one that I was going to have to do solo, at least on the way there. My friend Jan who also works with me stepped up and volunteered to go if I could fly her out on Sunday. Somehow it worked out that my journey via car ended about 20 minutes before Jan’s plane arrived so I was able to pick her up! Divine timing?!

I can’t lie, I was stressed because there were so many balls in the air between health issues, having to pivot on a dime, extra expenses and just not knowing if it all was going to work out. Spoiler, it worked out, and Jan and I had such a good time together. I haven’t laughed as hard as I did over that week plus on the ride home we were wide open. The students were incredible, we all fed off of each other and a lot of magic was created. And most importantly, Jason is doing much better and was released from the hospital. He had a quiet week without me to recover!

I was gone a little over 10 days so when I returned, it really was almost mid-April so it’s no surprise this month blew past me like a gust of wind. I learned once again that I can do hard things and that you can only control so much. At some point, you have to let go and flow the way the river is moving you.

If you are interested in taking an in-person workshop from me-stop over to my catalog of upcoming classes. I have several amazing classes coming up in the next several months including a trip to Ireland!! Learn more over HERE.

Okay, it’s time to dish on what has been sparking my muse, entertaining my mind, or keeping me out of trouble (or all the above)!

TV Show I went all in on —I’m not proud of this but I am going to come clean with a little guilty pleasure I’ve had recently and that was binge-watching a sweet but heart-wrenching (at times) young adult series. “The Summer I Turned Pretty” is an adaptation from the 3 part novel (although there are just 2 seasons of the show) that had me in tears at times and reminiscing about my own summer romances and first loves.

Shhh. yes I did like 2 brothers at one point in my teen-age years and I could almost see myself during a few parts of the series. Check it out if you have Prime and want to escape for a few hours.

2. Must Have Supply:

I used this medium a lot in Santa Fe, but I also have been using it in my underpaintings, for drip effects, and to change the viscosity of my paints from soft body or fluid to a runny watery/ink consistency BUT without any sacrifice on color. What supply is that? You may have heard of Golden’s High Flow Paint, but did you know they also have a medium available to create your own mixtures of paint?

It’s true! I know some of you like to buy every color in every line of paint that exists (no judging, I’m kinda like you, too), but if you want to save on purchasing a deep catalog of colors and just make your own—I recommend learn how to use mediums to achieve the effect you enjoy but with your own unique recipes.

Another tip-If you live in a dry climate and find that your paints dry quickly on your palette, try mixing in GHF into a water bottle-maybe a 10-to-one mixture. Shake it up and then mist over your paints form time to time to keep them open longer.

3. Who’s Keeping Me Company in the Studio?

I recently found an artist on you-tube who I not only adore her artwork, but I feel like we could be besties. If you haven’t watched Mrs. Bertimus on Youtube, check her out. She is so sweet, shy, kind and self-deprecating but humbly and funnily as she figures out how to film and look ‘totally natural’ doing so.

She has quite a few video blogs out but I started back at the first and I feel like I’m getting to know her even though she is just my ‘studio’ companion hanging out in the background as I paint.

Thank you, Mrs. Bertimus for sharing your video blogs with us :)

4. What I’m Reading:

I’m pretty pumped over the fact I’m keeping up with my reading goals of at least 2 books a month. I like to listen to books while I’m driving or if I’m alone at the house creating. For better or worse, I’ve put a ton of miles on the truck over the last few months so that’s helped me stay on track with my goals.

One of my recent reads that I thought I’d share is “Little Ghosts” by Gregg Dunnett. This one is a mystery that centers around the lives of a family who’s oldest daughter was kidnapped and murdered. The case seems to have gone cold until the remaining younger sibling begins to have visits from his sister, Layla. Layla’s apparition comes through slowly to Gale. As Layla grows a bit stronger as a new spirit, it’s obvious she needs to learn how to communicate to help solve her murder. If you’d like to read more about this page-turner, you can hop over here.

5. What I’ve Been Working On:

In addition to my upcoming workshops, my book writing (yes…more on that in another post), and other bits and pieces around the studio, I am working on finishing up a new collection for the online Spring Show I’ll be participating in over at Auctions with Stephanie Gagos Group. I’ve already finished most of my abstract pieces and have put the final varnish coats on my whimsical pieces but I still have a few more ‘irons’ in the fire. I have more ideas than I have time so we will see what gets completed.

I would LOVE it if you save the date and pop over on my show day(s). The support from my followers helps motivate me tremendously plus just by commenting on the show pieces, you help to spread the word about my offerings.

The first part of my day begins the afternoon of May 18th and runs through about 12:30 PM EST. on the 19th. You can join the group by going here. This allows you to comment or bid on pieces that call your name!

6. In The Shop:

Over the next few months, I will be adding new offerings into a brand new category of items in my shop. If you haven’t heard, I began offering Giclees in March and they are amazing!!!! They truly look wonderful.

They are as close to the original without being the original. My goal is to add 4-6 each month until I have a decent amount of prints to select from.

As I do this, I will offer a special discount with the hope I get a few 5-star reviews from my first customers and YOU can get a bargain at the same time! Now through May 5th-all of my giclees are on sale for 30% off!

Here’s a sneak peek at the new pieces for the EOM April release:

I think that’s about it for the monthly round-up! I hope you gathered some inspiration while here and enjoyed the ‘peek’ into my life in and out of the studio.

****Feel free to drop me a line in the comments with any of your recommendations for the month or questions for me. I love hearing from YOU.

Until next time,

Jodi

**Note-some of the links contain affiliate referral codes. If you make a purchase using my code, I may receive a small commission at no cost to you. This is one way you can show your support when purchasing items I recommend:) Thank you so much!!