updates from the studio

I've got all kinds of stuff going on over here and today it is time for a little update from the studio! 

With the new year in full swing I have been spending a lot of time evaluating and reevaluating my creative business. For the last few years, I had to make some choices about where I should put my time and energy- to be honest this is always changing and evolving. I had to make the choice to cut back on creating handmade items to sell so I could put more energy into teaching live and online classes. While this has been working well for me, I really miss making things. Making and selling handmade is where I started and is really at the foundation of my creative business. So this year I set a goal of trying to find a way to blend making and selling handmade back into my business. 

What I came up with (which I have been trying out for the last few months) is making limited editions of handmade items that I offer each month in the shop. So far it is working great and making smaller quantities of art and handmade goodies (instead of lots) has enabled me to continue to create online classes year round. So those of you who are looking to shop for handmade items- like pottery, art journals, purses and more, expect shop updates with new things each month. I will be announcing when these updates happen via Intstagram, here on the blog and via my newsletter. And know that if you miss out, there will be more goodies in the coming months. 

With all that said- today I have a pretty big shop update today!

Once upon a time (like 10 years ago) I was attending a wedding. I was wearing a little black dress and needed a colorful clutch to finish off my outfit. I couldn't find anything I liked in stores so I grabbed one of my paintings from the wall, ripped it off the stretcher bars and sewed it into a clutch. This moment changed my entire creative perspective and my business forever!! I went on to write a book about remixing canvas, I taught classes on "redefining" your art and I sold thousands of handmade canvas bags. A few years ago I had to scale back on making bags- I just couldn't keep up with the demand . These days I still make them just in smaller quantities and I am happy to announce that I have a big batch in the shop HERE

I have continued to collaborate on pottery with my parents and am LOVING it! You can read more about my history with pottery HERE. My mom and I have another batch of bowls in the shop HERE. My mom makes the bowls and I glaze them with pattern and we fire them in our kiln. I cannot tell you how much I love these pretty bowls! Each one is made with SO much love and creativity. 

I've also got another batch of handmade art journals HERE.

My latest class The Business of Being Creative is in full swing and it's not too late to join in! If you are looking for some inspiration and insight into running a creative business and a peek behind the scenes of my own business- this is the class for you! I've also got a a fun lineup of classes coming in the next few months. For my complete offering of online classes you can head on over to the shop HERE.

I've had a lot of inquiries about whether or not I will be offering live classes and retreats this year in my studio and as much as I love teaching live, I have decided to take a break from teaching live this year. I have not taken a break from teaching since I started back in 2006 and my gut told me it was time for a little breather. Rest assured I will be back and will keep everyone posted about my live teaching schedule here on the blog. In the meantime I will continue to offer all kinds of new and creative online classes. 

I am super excited to be one of the teachers participating in Jeanne Olivers's class Studying Under the Master III course. Here is all the information about the class:

There is a lost art of studying the works of others to find your own style. All of the "masters" were first apprentices. The apprentice sat beside the "masters", listening to their process, paintbrush in hand, mixing paint, creating strokes that told a story, and stirred their creative spirit.

Have you ever taken an online course, gone to a retreat, purchased an art technique book and were taught an artist's techniques and mediums?  Have you ever been worried about what is your style and what is "their" style?  Have you ever been afraid to create art that was inspired by another artist?  This course is for you!

Join six artists as we become the “apprentice”. Through discussion and technique videos, each artist will share their week with a “master”. You’ll learn who their “master” artist studied under, who influenced their work and what techniques and mediums they used.

An integral part of the artistic process was to “copy” the master artist.  In this course, you will watch as these artists practice using the works of another artist. They will share what techniques they learned and what they learned about their own creative process.  You will then learn as they create art in their own style incorporating the techniques and/or medium of their chosen artist. 

I am crazy excited to be studying and teaching the style of Jean Michel Basqiuat for this class! Basquiat has always been a big inspiration for me as a painter. Basquiat was an American artist who first became known for graffiti during the late 1970's. By the 80's he was exhibiting his Neo-expressionist and Primitivist paintings in galleries and museums around the world. In my early days as an art major, I was painting wild, messy and very influenced by street art. I can remember my painting instructor pulling me aside, insisting that I check out every book I could find on Basquiat. This moment changed my perspective on painting but even more importantly the art world. I am so honored to be sharing all that I can about Basquiat!

Register now for only $49.99 by clicking on the paypal button below. prices go up after April 6th

After you have paid from the above link  go to jeanneoliver.ning.com and register on the site where the course is held. 

To celebrate the launch, Jeanne is having a HUGE art giveaway (worth over $1300!!) you can check it out HERE.