July Round-Up

It’s been a minute since I shared my monthly round-up. With travel as much as I did over the last few months, writing in general just fell to the wayside. But I have done a lot of painting! A ton of it as a matter of fact!!

I will talk more about that later but for now, I want to share a few of the things I’ve been reading, listening to, and loving over the last several weeks.

What I’ve Been Watching:
Masterclass-Shonda Rimes on script writing. You might be wondering why I would even be interested in this topic but I find exposing yourself to a lot of different types of art AND hearing words of wisdom from industry experts is so valuable in my own craft. In a lot of ways leaders in almost every industry have similar traits, it’s just how they pursue their greatness that may vary. I’ve had a Masterclass membership for a couple of years now and have watched classes from writers, movie producers, magazine publishers, FBI negotiators, singers, directors, painters, and designers. I am so grateful for all the wisdom that has been shared by these giants in the industry. Here’s a snippet from Shonda Rimes’ masterclass (which is in full is about 6 hours long).

2. What I Have Been Reading:

Speaking of nuggets of wisdom, one of my students in my last class recommended the book, “The Creative Act: The Way of Being” by Rick Rubin and I just finished this wonderfully introspective book on the artist and the artist’s life. It was very much like sitting in a philosophy class about the act of creativity. There were so many times I just shook my head and said to myself—yes exactly! I just didn’t know how to verbalize my thoughts or point of view as Rick Rubin did.

I actually ‘listened’ to the book but I am going to get the hard copy too as it was one of those books I feel like I would pull off the shelf time and time again.

What have you just read and loved? Feel free to leave a comment below and share.

3. What Paint Colors I Have Been Using:

After visiting Ireland and Italy, I can see the influences coming out in my art as of recently. Blues, greens, coastal vibes, serene and earthy are what I’ve been using and leaning into in my art. This piece took shape in my last class in NY at the Hudson River Valley Arts center, but the this one and the series as a whole started taking shape with my adventures abroad. I’m so excited to keep exploring the possibilities that are ‘swimming’ around in my head.

I’m a huge fan of blue and the color that I’ve been grabbing for in this series is Prussian Blue Hue. I also mix it with a bit of Payne’s Gray, or black, heck even Van Dyke brown in some areas to get different values and sense of depth. And white or titan buff—how could I forget those two staples?

What colors have you been loving lately? Have you been influenced by anything in particular that have lead you to pick that palette?

4. What Have I Been Working On?

Okay, grab a cuppa of your favorite beverage as we chat a bit!!!! It’s going to be a long story because there are so many irons in the fire right now! I’ll spare you all the gory, I mean colorful details and just narrow it down to categories. Classes (online), In-person workshops (I have 4 more this year!), Art for my Auction coming up on August 18th, and I’m working on the art and writing for my BOOK!! Yes, I’m also working on a self-published book that I’m hoping to have out at the end of the year (fingers crossed).

If you’d like to be on the waitlist for my new book and to be the first to know about special bonus offers you can do so by going here.

Online classes: The pre-sale is going on now for my newest class which is priced at a price that won’t break the bank but will provide you with a TON of fun and great projects to learn from. “School of Fish” is now open for pre-sale. The class officially launches on August 26th, 2024.

Auction Coming Up: Save the Date! Some of my latest creations will be showcased during my online auction on August 18th. I will have a mix of abstracts AND a wide variety of whimsical pieces this time around.

The entire show begins on August 12th and runs through the 20th, with my day being the last day of new artists showcased. To get a reminder about the event, you can simply click “Going” to this RSVP.

In-Person Classes-While I have 4 more in-person classes coming up before the end of the year, I wanted to showcase my events in Katy, Texas at the wonderful Multiplicity Studios. Because of a schedule conflict, we moved my workshop, “Whimsical Houses” to the weekend after the original date. I’m also teaching a 2-day Cold Wax workshop that week that I’m visiting the studio. I also wanted to highlight these classes as they will be the last ones offered at Multiplicity because the owner, Susan Stone, has decided to sell her business and pursue new opportunities. She has recently married and her husband and her have tons of big plans for the future so I hope YOU can join us to celebrate this new chapter in her life with her and other guests at her beloved studio/store.
More information about both of these workshops can be found here.

That about does it for now! Woosh! So much going on, I’m so honored to be able to do what I do. Even when I am busy and feeling slightly overwhelmed, I am still eternally grateful to be able share my art with the world and to teach others how to embrace and thrive in their creative life.

Feel free to leave a comment below if you want to share what you’ve been doing recently and if there are any topics you’d like me to chat about in one of my upcoming blogs.

Until next time,

Jodi