Wrap it up!! Black Friday starts now!!!

Upcoming Events and Black Friday SPECIALS!!!

I'm super duper excited to be offering a teen art journaling class up at our studio/gallery located in Vass, NC, "Creative Studios, NC".  on 12/19/15.  We only have a few spaces left so if you are in the area, be sure to give us a call and register. We will re-open on Saturday 11/28/15 after a short break for the holidays :)  PS..Saturday is going to be rocking with make and takes,  and a Shop and Tour Handmade Moore event. Check out our Facebook page for the event for more details (including our after party at the shop!)

Black Friday Specials already in effect for several of my online classes!!

Podtastic:  Save 25.00!  

Funky Little City Scapes,  Save 25.00!

Save 15.00 off of all my other work shops over at Colourarte!

BTW..you also get a 30.00 coupon for product in the Colourarte shop which includes Twinking H20s, Silks Acrylics and more!

WHAT????? Downloads for some of my new DVDs are as low as 5.99!!

Check out more titles  by clicking the image below! 

Stay tuned! There's more goodies to come throughout the weekend!!! Including a NEW ONLINE class pre-registration opening with a Black Friday special pricing!!!!!!

That's a wrap for now!  

Wishing you and yours a very Happy Thanksgiving! 

Say It or Paint It With Love

How many ways can you (or do you) show love through your art?

 With tomorrow being Valentine's Day, I thought I'd pull a few pictures from my 'archives'  that showed a little 'love' . Gosh, looking back at these paintings, you'd think I have been in a world wind romance with some dashing man who has swept me off my feet!!!  Well the truth is, lately, my Valentine's have been reserved for 2 dashing men...my wonderful sons of course, Josh and Zach.  :)
That doesn't mean you can't manifest dreams and desires through your art, or just work through feelings and thoughts as you are creating.   That's one of the things I enjoy most....getting my thoughts out on the canvas, especially those that I can't say out loud or in person.

 And sometimes a simple word is all you need to hear  or see to make you feel that you can, you will, you ARE, or will become.  Art has magical powers tlike that.

 And if you don't hear it enough,   sometimes hanging a little reminder in your studio, office space, or other location will bring you back to the place you need to be.

Sometimes my paintings are about conversations I've had or want to have with someone.  I love this piece above.  It's not so much a conversation I've had but one I'd had like to have had with someone. 

It's fun to create these micro-worlds of possibilities.

What can I say but I L-O-V-E this piece above. The texture, the many under layers peeking through but yet they are all leading to the the same outcome.  Love. A super fun piece to do.

 As I was searching for pieces to share for this post, I came across these oldie but goodies.  I had a class featuring these along with an article in a magazine. I call thses my story block collages.  Mostly painted but there are some 3 d elements as you can see from the hearts.  In my classes students added all sorts of fun embellishments in addition to the hearts. I love sparking ideas and seeing where my students take them. It's an amazing process!

 It's funny as I reflect back over the last several years, part of the reason I stumbled into the art world was because of my heart being broken, rather shattered into a million pieces....it's such a long story but the beginning of it was all about me falling for someone and how my life changed because of that love story.  I guess on the outside, it may seem like a tragic story but through all the bad came this amazing good life that I have now.

 I guess I still process all the events of the last many years through art.

 Not just thoughts about love, but about life in general. My art isn't about some larger political or socioeconomic questions that plague the world, rather my pieces are about everyday life, relationships, family, friends, community....connections.  We all want to feel connected in some way.  Needed in some way.

Creating has a way of getting those feelings out and telling our story in our own way.  Sometimes it's in your face and quite clear what you are trying to say.

...and other times,the message isn't as easily discerned..but it's still there.

What do you say in your art? Have you noticed any trends or messages that appear time and time again?  What does it say about you or your process?  

I hope you have a wonderful Valentine's Day and enjoy the weekend by being surrounded by those that you love.  And if by chance you are alone for the day,  do something amazing and special for YOU.  You deserve it!

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Before I leave you today, I wanted to remind you that I have some HOT specials going on over at Creative Workshops 

 All of my classes over there are on sale including my POD-Tastic class 

through this weekend

And another SWEET sale going on over at Colourarte  where all of my classes are on special for a limited time, too.  In addition to the sale, each student that registers for a class over at Colourarte will receive a 30.00 coupon to the store for products such as Twinkling H20's, Silks Acrylics, Radiant Gels, and more!

Sharing the creative love since I can't give you a chocolate heart filled with unknown substances in the center of each piece. haha :))

Enjoy your weekend, fill it with things you love to do and surround yourself with those you love. That's what I'll be doing!



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My 2014 Favorite Art Supplies and More!

Follow Jodi Ohl's board Products I Love on Pinterest.

Over the last few days I've shared some favorites of mine from 2014. It's been so fun to look back and reminisce through art and my photos!  I hope you've enjoyed the view from my lens :)

Today I 'pinned' some of my favorite products that I use quite religiously and love. I love so many products that it was hard to share but these are some the regular art supplies that I used in a lot of my classes and in my own art.    I may even show you a few pieces so you can see how I've used them.

1.   Gelli Plates-what can I say, they are fun, addictive and can be used in so many ways. I had this piece featured in Joan Bess's new book Gelli Plate Printing without a Press.  All of the flowers and reddish pieces around this muse's head are all Gelli Plate Prints. Super cool?!  (painting available)

2.  Stabilo Marks All Pencil in Black (love white and graphite, too).  If you buy this product, I suggest getting 2 or 6 of them..lol  as they will become a favorite tool to use. Watersoluble, will write on virtually everything, and easy to draw and shade with. Drawback, the leads are soft especially in the colored pencils so they do break easily or at least I break them easily.    Here's a piece where you can see the dark marks that I drew with the black Stabilo pencil.  It's also a favorite abstract piece of mine and it started off as just a practice piece.   You never know when "play" is going to become serious bizness!

3.Neutral colors of Twinkling H20s--I love all the colors offered in the "Twinks" line but I really love the fact that they come in neutral shades for face painting.  Not to say you can't mix your own shades for portraits, but it's so nice to have these perfect shades of browns and neutrals already to roll.  These are colors that are hard to find in watercolors as well.   They also offer a second set with slightly darker shades of browns/neutrals.  I used the browns and the pinks in this lovely ladies face which was one of my samples for a watercolor portrait class last year.  (Painting available)

4) Golden's High Flow Acrylic Paint-This came out earlier last year and I was fortunate to get 2 sets for Christmas (Merry Christmas to Me 2013..heehee). They are part paint, part ink and although I don't really use them to paint on canvas, I love to paint with them. I use them to fill empty markers,  as inks for my dip pens, and as a primary ingredient in a lot of my grunge paintings.  All the colors are yummy but I especially love the quin gold and magenta.  See....

5) Yupo Paper -I couldn't get these cool effects if it wasn't for my friends over at Yupo creating such awesome substrates for us to paint and draw on.  Yes you can draw on it as well...it's a little tricky but it accepts marker and pencil really well, too.   Here's another Yupo painting I've done (the last two featured were also on Yupo paper).  (avail--mounted on cradled wood)

6) Ampersand Claybord--another great company who's products I love!  I've been using the claybords for my textured pieces along with Silks Acrylics.   The claybord accepts the paint so well but well..I hate to even say this, we manipulate the surface with heat to create amazing textured areas. You can't do the same thing with other surfaces so claybord and me..well I love it!! :))  (sold)

The top is before texturizing the piece and the bottom afterwards. See what I mean...coolio!    (if you'd like to take a class featuring the process...click over HERE.

7)  Fineline Applicators--not just any, this brand is the best.   If you've taken my last couple of classes, you probably already have them as they are fast becoming a staple in my supply arsenal!  I use them in everything lately, great for mark making, great for graffiti writing, detail work and more. (sold)

See all the cool black lines...yep...they were created using the fineline applicators. Yum and fun!

8) Catalyst Polytip Brushes-these are fast becoming my favorite brushes to use. I didn't think I'd like them at first because at first touch, they are really stiff.  But once saturated with paint, they are surprisingly smooth and ultra sturdy. They hold up to a lot of really rough painting sessions. If you like to paint really fast and with a heavy hand, these are great to us. At the same time, they can be rather delicate too. The bristles stay in tact and don't go all wayward or fall out on you. Give them a try! I had a lot of ground to cover or sky to cover ...lol..in this piece and the Catalyst brushes were great to do the veiling of clouds with my paint. (sold)

9.) Dylusions Art Journal (large):  I love love love this journal and have been using it almost (not quite as I draw in other journals)  exclusively for the last year.  The good part is there are tons of pages. That's also the bad part for me..lol. Sometimes too many pages are intimidating to me and I don't follow through on the journaling process.  This book is great because its extremely well made, the paper is great for journaling, nice and sturdy and it even has a pocket enclosure in the front.  I'll be doing a new journaling class during 2015 and this will be our substrate for it--already decided on that one :))   Check out a few pages from my Art Journal:

10) Silks Acrylics-along with the twinks, I use the Silks quite often in my classes and a variety of projects.  The colors are brilliant glazes. Layer over one another or on paper and you get the sha-zizzle and wowza factor going on.    Here are a couple of piece I used the silks for accents:

sold

And one I used entirely of silks:

Gosh I am leaving out bucket loads of favorite supplies here! I feel bad!! I may have to do one dedicated to just pens, paints, and other goodies!!  What's your favorite supply???  Let's share and maybe discover something new in the New Year!

Happy New Year Everyone!  See ya next Year! :))  

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Other notes:

Are you a part of my Art Insiders' club? If not, join in my newsletter here for special coupons, exclusive deals and be the first to find out cool shizzle!!  My next issue will go out tomorrow so be sure to join in for something special just for my readers! :))

Today is the very last day two of my older online classes will be offered as they are retiring this year.  Sign up today and you will still have access for 12 months!  Great beginners class and super affordable. (Artistic Journaling and Let's Face It)

Final two days of the special savings offered over at Icreateflix.com on their entire catalog of classes using the coupon code at checkout:  New Year 15  and you will save 25%   Check out my classes
HERE.

I've been working steadfastly and around the clock putting the final touches on my upcoming online workshop "Podtastic" which is scheduled to release next week.   There's still time to take advantage of the pre-sale price by registering now.  Click HERE for more info!

Tomorrow kicks off  a collaborative workshop that I'm participating in called "Creative Jumpstarts 2015".   25 lessons by 23 teachers over the course of January and accessible to you until November 2015 for only 25 bucks!  Prizes galore from our sponsor Liquitex.  Stop over to my friend Nathalie's blog to find out more!

It's a Pod-Tastic Birthday Month! Giveaway winners announced!

Happy Monday Everyone!  I hope you all had a terrific weekend! What did you do? Shopping? Decorating? Arting (I hope!!)  All the above?     For me, yep..all the above, plus work a little--went to a fun outdoor wreath making party and finally got my tree up! It's hard to believe that in just a couple of weeks, Christmas will already be here!!  EEEKK.  Still so much to do plus finish working on several projects, commissions and of course on my upcoming class which opens up January 7th Podtastic...which is actually why I'm here.... Last week you may recall I had a giveaway for not just one, but 2 spots in my class by simply leaving a comment on the post as to how YOUR 2015 New Year will be Pod-Tastic. Ez Peezy, right?

 Mysteries of the Universe (NFS-private collector)

If you haven't seen my pods or portals art collection, it's super vibrant in color, full of texture, doodles, inspirational messages and more.

I've had the great honor of many of these pieces having been already sold to private collectors, in addition I've had the pleasure of teaching several dozens of students around the country the process of Pod and portal creating (which I'm now just calling them all pods..lol) now--I'm going to offer the class,  "Pod-Tastic" online and add a few new exercises for you to really think in terms of color, contrast, patterns, design, and of course doodling and texture.  You'll learn tons of great painting techniques of course along with  journaling practices to help your composition and creative muse throughout the process.

Look Deeply

18 x 36

(Available)

So if you've been wanting to take the class but were unable to attend one of my in person workshops in 2014 or went and want to learn even more or revisit some of the techniques in the quiet (snicker...my house isn't too quiet but you know what I mean) of your home,  this is the opportunity you've been waiting for!  

For a limited time only (*until class opens), I am offering the workshop at an early bird registration price.   Save 15.00 off the regular price!!!!!

***This would make a great gift for those that are so hard to buy for...or YOURSELF..what a treat!****

(NFS-held by a private collector)

Kick off the new year right and ring it in with color!

Get your hands dirty in an ohh so fun way!

Be inspired to live a creative life.

Journal your thoughts, color ideas, doodles...words and more.

Learn tons of techniques that can be applied not just to this process, but to so many more mixed media applications.

For more information about the class--check out our page over at Creative Workshops:

I'm excited to announce the two winners of this course as:

Jackie Jones said...

I shared the link on my FB page. Thanks again for doing this great giveaway. Good Luck to All!

7:36 PM 

Cathy McClellan said...

Oh yeah, it's going to be a different kind of year! On Jan 1, I go with my daughter to live on a quiet Caribbean island while she is in Med school. Along for the ride and to care for her brilliant 3 year old, I know this is my year to focus on art. I'm excited. Have been gently gathering supplies to ship and have while there, since budget is a concern and I would love the opportunity to learn with YOU! And I think that is a great pod-tastic plan!

10:24 PM 

Congratulations to both Jackie and Cathy!!!!

Please email me at jodiohl@hotmail.com

NOTE--winners have 2 weeks to claim their spot, if we are unable to contact the winners we will choose another recipient(s).

Thank you ALL for taking the time to comment and stop by. I was soooo inspired by all of your ideas on how to make 2015 the most 'Pod-tastic' year of all!!!!! I truly think it will be amazing for us all.  It's up to each one of us to make it be so....and I intend to try my hardest to do my part as your teacher:)

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This week is my BIRTHDAY week..haha...yes, birthday week or perhaps let's just say Birthday month.  I'm going to do lots of wonderful specials and offer surprises from me to you during the course of the month.  This giveaway was just one of the events I have planned. Stay tuned, later this week, I have something SUPER DUPER planned!!  Stop back on Friday to find out more info...or sign up on my newsletter to be the first to find out:  

Subscribe to my Newsletter by clicking HERE.

I can hardly wait!

whooohoooo!!

(Wander in the Wild  30 x 40 Avail at Swank Coffee Shop in Southern Pines, NC

email jodiohl@hotmail.com  or Lisa at swankgirls@gmail.com for information)

I hope this week has started off on a great note!

Sharing one of my favorite creative quotes:

“If you hear a voice within you say, ‘You cannot paint,’ then by all means paint, and that voice will be silenced.” — Vincent van Gogh

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Stop by my Etsy shop to see what's new this week!  

It's a Pod-Tastic Giveaway time!!

Some of you may already know that I have a new online class launching just a little over a month from now on January 7th called Pod-Tastic, but for those that haven't heard---well this is your public service announcement! Whooohoo!   I love giveaways and I'm sure you do, too--so I want to giveaway, not one,  but TWO spots to my upcoming class!    If you've already signed up no worries, we will give you a refund for your tuition (or you can give your spot to a deserving friend...think what a wonderful little giftie you can give!).

Okay so what are the details?  Just leave a comment on THIS blog post and tell me what YOU are going to do to make 2015 a "pod-tastic' year for you (aka fantastic)!  Share this post on your facebook page to help me promote (or pin it on your pinterest board letting people know in the description that this is for a promotional giveaway) and then come back and let me know you shared for an extra entry.    I will choose a winner on Sunday and announce on Monday.    Just to let you know that if you sign up now for the class you will also get 15.00 off to secure your spot.  I want to thank you all for all the support and encouragement. I'm going to do my best to make this a rockin' class that you will not only have fun in, but learn tons as well!  

For more details on the class, please click HERE!  

Sign up for my newsletter to stay in the 'know' for all my upcoming classes,  specials, new items, product reviews/recommendations and more by clicking HERE!

I've been listing items in my shop this week (and they've been disappearing..yay)..here's one of my larger angels I have left, take a look at what else is in the store:

So go ahead and leave a comment and enter to win a class (or two) from me to you!

UPDATE:
Ps!!! Be sure to leave an email addy or a way for me to get a hold of you if you win (not every name I'm seeing has a clickable link :)) 

Incite, Create, and Renew!

For those of you who are on my newsletter (what???  you're not on my newsletter list?  Well let's change that!! ;)   Sign Up Here,  I had a giveaway for my subscribers to enter into.    The prize was "Incite 2"  (Look who's art was featured not just in the book but also on the inside cover jackets!!!)  plus a bunch of goodies--and I'm here to announce the winner!

And the winner is...Patricia Stark!  Congratulations, Patricia!!   Thank you so much for following along and entering.  I appreciate all of my followers both here, my newsletter subscribers, and of course all the other social media sites out there. I hope I can inspire you to live your life in a creative and colorful way, each and everyday!

If you would like to purchase a copy of your own, believe me, you won't be disappointed. It is a collection of over 100 pieces considered some of the best in mixed media for 2014!  Here is a link to the book:  Purchase here.     

Just when I thought things were slowing down yet, the pause I felt was only for a few 'minutes' because we are about to kick it up in high gear again come January.  First up, I'm participating in a new collaboration (well new to me!!) called Creative Jump Starts 2015, brought to you by Nathalie Kalbach and sponsored by Liquitex.    Haven't heard about CJS?  Well, it's a fantastic quick bit of inspiration everyday for 25 days in January by 23 artists....and get this. It's only 25.00 folks.  If you are feeling a bit in need of variety and putting a fire under your creative muse..this could be just the answer for you!  

Hop over to Nathalie's blog to check out more info and to register!  

Speaking of workshops,  if you didn't see my top banner when you hopped over to the blog--you may have missed the fact that I'm finally releasing a new painting workshop that has been one of my most requested classes online....Previously only an in person class, now you can join in this intensive (but FUN) work shop online as an e-course.   Several hours of videos, and tons of painting techniques, journal work, color exercises, doodles, and more will be included in your tuition.  We will put the brush to the canvas and create PODs and Portals in a "Pod-Tastic" way!!

The work shop will begin January 7th but you can register now and save 15.00 off the retail price.   The class is open ended and self paced, that means you have unlimited access to the class and can work at your pace. So whether you want to do the projects over the course of 6 weeks, 5 months, or 2 years...heck you can do it!  I stay active as a mentor for you as long as you need me within my 'office' hours and you can share your work and get to know your fellow students via a private facebook group.    For more information and to register,  please click HERE!  I'm super stoked about this class as its' one of my favorite ways to 'play' on the canvas but even more than that, the dance with color, doodling, shading, etc...is so fun and energetic, you can't help but enjoy yourself!.

 As if all this goodness wasn't enough, there's more fun to be had this week.....my besties who are also my business partners in our joint retreat venture, ReMe Retreats, Inc. will be getting together on Friday to solidify our 2015 programs for our 3 retreats.  Previously we only had one event, then we added a second last year--and this year we are offering 3 Ocracoke retreat experiences.  To say this is just an art retreat wouldn't be correct...it's more than that.

 It's about making new friends in one of the most peaceful and serene surroundings in the world.  Beautiful, breathtaking yet grounding.

 It's about letting your hair down or putting it up. Laughing with your new "ReMe" sisters....

Creating to your hearts content, full , and renewed.

 It's about Relaxing while viewing a peaceful sunset. A glass of wine or other cocktail of choice and soaking in the awesome beauty of the world around us...both feet on the ground and the wind at our backs.

 It's about gifties and surprises we have in store for our guests that are more than just an afterthought and a just cuz.  We want you to know that YOU are why we do what we do and we are so grateful for YOU, our guest.

 ReMe is about infusing creativity in your life with fun, easy to follow  but incredibly insightful classes by 3 instructors in the areas of painting, jewelry and assemblage,  bookmaking and surface printing.   In other words, we show you how to do lots of cool schtuff. :)

 You might walk in alone, but you'll walk away with 11 new friends, lots of memories, tons of laughs, a suitcase full of new treasures and a belly full of awesome food your hosts (myself, Jean, Penny, and one of our house mother's extraordinaire's cook in house for you from morning to night, we have you covered in every way).  You pretty much just have to show up with a few changes of clothes, your toiletries and you are good :)  haha.  

Yes...that was kind of a joke but not really. This retreat is all inclusive other than your travel.  Check in will be Monday at 3:00pm check out is Saturday morning.   Food, lodging, classes, supplies, beverages and a cocktail hour, guest speakers, little tours and more are all included.  Peeked your interest?  Our blog will tell you more about our retreat with sign up buttons on the left sidebar if you are interested.  Any questions---please feel free to email us at reme@remeretreats.blogspot.com    

Back to my point, Friday we meet again to finalize our NEW details for our program and we are basically counting the days until our new adventures begin. Hope you join us!!

And that my friends, I think is all for tonight. I meant to get this blog post up earlier but...silly me doesn't know how to work the computer when she's buying stuff.  I had to go pick up my microwave at my quote 'local' store...which I didn't realize I had in a store that was over an hour away from me this evening. Ha!.  whoops.  anywhoo.  Now you know the other side of me ;)

Until next time!

Jodi