Spring Break, Make that Spring PRICE Break and What's UP NEXT!

Rainy or cold Spring Days? Art your time away! Check out these deals from Interweave! April 4th through the 10th!


Did you know all of my workshops are on sale at Creative Workshops now through April 8th? Save 20% on every class!  Buy now, watch at your convenience as the classes don't expire!   Classes include my latest workshop, Dirty Flirty Birds!!

Want a little variety in your life?  The newly released 21 Secrets-Tools and Techniques may be just the class for you! This is my second year participating in one of the 21 Secrets collaborative class-this session just started on April 1st and the students are already creating a variety of amazing projects. It's not too late to join in!  The videos are downloadable and come bundled in a beautifully crafted ebook which contains links to all the classes.   Most workshops run about 30min to an hour or more--that's a lot of creating with 21 different classes!!!!  My class offering, "Flowing Features" introduces you to watercolors and creating facial features in colorful and 'flowing' ways!  So much fun!

To Join, click this link then go to the top of the page where it says 21 secrets then click, Tools and Techniques.  Ez Peezy!


Big News--Just added to my working studio calendar of events, my hugely popular and fun class, Grunge Ink!  Come join us at Creative Studios, May 21st for a full day of arting where you will create 3-4 amazing pieces as well learn tons of abstract techniques on Yupo paper.  All supplies included other than a brayer which saves the students upwards of 100 dollars in art supply costs!

Click here to see more info and location, then click 'tickets available' to be taken to the registration page!
Hope to see you in person at this fun filled class!  To stay in the 'know' about our upcoming classes and workshops, be sure to subscribe to our events.

Speaking of Grunge Ink--I'll be traveling to Epherema Paducah in just a little over a week for 3 days of classes. Enjoy a weekend of "Mixed Media Madness" which includes  my one day Grunge Ink class along with my 2 Day Graffiti Houses classes. We have just a few spaces left if you'd like to join us!! This is my first time to EP and I can't wait to see and paint with all my new students!!

Stay tuned for more announcements coming for April, May and June!  

Ohhhh btw!  Save BIG in my Etsy shop this week only!   Use code:  springpricebreak for a 20% off discount on your entire purchase.  Have your eye on a painting?  Today is the day to nab it!   Coupon expires on April 8th!  

Click HERE to see what's new in the shop!

Thank you for all keeping up with my teaching and latest art updates!  I appreciate you all so much for following this journey and for embarking on your own. I love hearing the stories of success and 'a ha' moments from my students and for hearing from my collectors on how the art that they've purchased of mine brings joy to their lives.  Thank you all more than I can say, my gratitude is overflowing!!!

Have a great April! I'll check in with you again in a few weeks (for my newsletter subscribers), and be sure to check out my blog for more frequent updates.  

Most read post of the last few months?  Check out my poignant story,  The Turning Point-a revelation of some of the more difficult moments of my life as a young girl.  

UPDATED--Sale extended through April 8th!

Happy Almost Easter to all of you who celebrate!   I hope you have something relaxing and fun planned for the holiday!    I wish I could say we are going away but the schedule doesn't permit this time around so we are going to have a staycation and do some fun things around here.  Sometimes that's the best way to go and then take off during the non peak times!   

Anywhoosers, I've been a total blog and newsletter slacker this month!  I think after I handed in my book and wrote two pretty emotional blog posts in February, I was done with writing for awhile..haha!   Really, I've been traveling for classes and just catching up on the pile of work I have had build up...all in a good way. I rather have work to do then none

at all!


Today I wanted to share with you something extra special that only happens a couple times a year. For a limited time, I'm offering  my classes over at Creative Workshops at a GREAT discount!   From now until  April 4th,  make that April 8th, all my workshops hosted at CW are 20% off, INCLUDING my newest class, Dirty Flirty Birds. (The students have been ROCKING it out with all of their projects!  I definitely recommend you come soar to new dirty bird heights with us!!!!)

If you are having a stay cation this week or just looking for a great deal on a class you had your eye on, it's time to pull the trigger and  join in on the fun!

Have a wonderful weekend!   Stop and smell the flowers,  take a moment to be quiet and enjoy the peacefulness of the wind,  enjoy a laugh with friends, and remember to infuse creativity into everything you do, not just the studio :)

Artfully and gratefully yours,

Jodi

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Have you stopped in and checked out what's new in my shop?

Click HERE to see!

My new collection of Zen Paintings in shades of gray!

**These are smaller abstracts, I can create custom 30 x 30 upon request. No  2 designs are a like!***

Get out of the Sugar cookie coma and come create!

While I recover from a sugar cookie and fudge coma and am all cozied up at the house, I thought I'd get a little 'painty' today.  Just playing in the studio not really knowing where I'm going or what I'm doing but having fun slinging some paint around.  It feels great, I'm definitely in my Happy Place :))

If you want to join me in a bit of creative bliss,  I have 2 Happy New Year specials going on over at Creative Workshops and 
Colourarte's Artevillage.   Workshops as low as 9.84!     Most classes are 20-25 dollars off!  Online painting/mixed media classes are a great way to jump into the creative world by learning some great process and projects in the comfort of your home!

SALE STARTS NOW!!

Wishing many blessings, good health and a wealth of happiness as we enter into the new year!

Until next time,

Jodi

Starts 12/27!

                                              Don't miss out....this is also a great special!

Getting your Creative On!

Check back every day for new deals!  Today's special over at Interweave is 5 star products for 5.00.  Categories include mixed media, jewelry, knitting, beading and more!

Shop 12 Days of Deals at Interweave

Other great specials going on....

Just a few more days to save on my Podtastic Birthday special!   60.00 through 12/13/15!

Perhaps you want to get your 'creative on' in January,  my newest online class: "Dirty Flirty Birds"  is coming soon!  'Early Bird' registration is going on now. Save 15.00 off the regular price!

That's about it for now!   I'm actually away for the week doing a photo shoot for my upcoming book on mixed media abstract painting!!!  Whooohoo!!    After this photo shoot is over with, I'll be back to the regularly scheduled blog posts :))    Have a great week!

Get your Art On, Game on and Appetizers ON!

 Happy February 1st!  It's Super Bowl Sunday here in the US and we are looking forward to this evening's game day events and of course our football appetizers, snacks and 'beverages'  with family and friends.

I'm still not sure exactly what I'm going to make although I've bought ingredients for a few potential goodies after hunting Pineterst all week for ideas.   

So far I'm leaning on Quinoa Pizza Bites and Cheesy Buffalo Cauliflower wings. 

I've heard rumors that the party I'm going to has lots of dips and meaty goodness so I'm assigned anything in the world other than Meat or Dip :))

I've never made either one. Is today the day to be an experimenter??  I guess there is only one way to find out!

What are you making??? 

New card styles in the shop!  "Block Party" flat notecard/postcard

 Well on top of Super Bowl Sunday appetizer talk, I wanted to tell you that today is the last day to use my special coupon code for my Etsy shop that created as a 'thank you' for my newsletter and blog readers.

What is that code you say?? :)

Glad you asked!

New card style in the shop:  "Dirty Flirty Birds"

Use coupon code:

15foryou

And receive 15.00 off a purchase of 85.00 or more. I specifically created it so you could take my Podtastic class at an introductory price, but if you've already taken the class or just aren't into creating right now and would rather buy art, then that code will work on on any purchase or a combination of items that are 85.00 or more.

18x18  Believe in Yourself

I've been busy all throughout January working on my Pod-tastic class (both producing it and working with the students online), but I've also been busy loading up my shop with new items. I started the month with about 40 some items and now I'm ending with almost 70!!!

Including originals, new classes,  several prints, new limited edition prints,  magnets, cards and more.

...and I still have pieces  have to list yet including this 12 x 36 super sweet  "Skinny Little Village" (new collection).  **If you are interested in this piece let me know, I can add it to my shop.   I was hoping to get better pictures of it and just haven't had a chance yet otherwise it would be in there!

As I mentioned before, January has been totally "Pod-Tastic!!"

 It's also been a fun month to experiment with some new things,  get ready for upcoming classes and really just get my bearings again.  Kind of.  I still have some work to do to fully feel that way.

And that's a wrap folks, hope you enjoy the Super Bowl if you are watching at home or over with friends-- I know awesome appetizers and  dips will be a part of the mix...be safe with the adult beverages. Have Fun!!  Game On:::

Stay tuned next week as I will be posting more "Burning Questions" from my readers.   I'm loving the feedback I've been getting so far on the posts, on facebook and via private email. If you have a question around the artistic life, art biz, techniques, marketing, sales,  anything on your mind...send me a message titled "Burning Questions" to jodiohl at  hotmail dot com  and I may use your question in a future post.

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Don't forget, today is the last day to use coupon code:  15foryou in my etsy shop.  (15.00 off 85.00 or more).

Keeping Good On My Resolutions..well Kinda of.

Last week, I mentioned in my blog post that one of the things I wanted to do better at or enhance my skills was in using my digital drawing program.   Good intentions, yes. In my head, I'd commit to a drawing a day but that went out the window after the first day.  I could give you a lot of excuses but the fact of the matter was  getting my class "Podtastic" up and running consumed me for the last two weeks day in and day out, so the thought of spending any more time at the computer seemed overwhelming to me.   My back ached, my neck is stiff and my eyes were strained. Even as much as I accomplished, I was still ticked at myself for not doing what I said I was going to do.

We are hardest on ourselves, aren't we?  Not that that is a bad thing, it just is why do we stress ourselves out about what we didn't do....instead of celebrate what we did accomplish. I completed a huge huge huge project! Yay!!  And I think it's really good...but the voice in my head says, you are such a slacker...you can't even follow through on your resolution during week one of the New Year.  Never mind the hours and hours you did work..I still felt guilty.

Really?  It makes me laugh now writing about something so insignificant, but that's the conversation I had with myself (and it's not really a new one, it's one that I play out over and over again just change up the scenario.

Sigh.    We are all a work in progress, aren't we??    So on to celebrating the two drawings I did manage to do this week in spite of my slackerly ways:)

Here is my first---I'm calling her Hanna.  I love to draw portraits, paint portraits, and I am loving the flexibility of testing out techniques with the digital sketching.     Definitely room for improvement but not too bad for the first one of the year.  I'm not going to promise I'll do one a day or weekly for that matter, but I would like to carry on and do more then do a look back at the end of 2015.  

I'm sure it'll be fun to see the improvements as time goes on.

My next drawing was something simple--I've been doing a lot of feather related things lately. I think I'll add them to my paintings down the road.   I used my feathers created for the holidays as inspiration.   One thing I did for this which to me is a 'duh' moment was to sketch loosely in 'pencil' for my first layer.  Add a second layer, and smooth out my lines and refine my sketch with a 'marker'.  Add a third layer and start to add color (paint, marker)...add a 4th and keep adding. more details and shading, you get the picture... okay so here is what I did differently, after I was happy with the 'refinement' and started painting, I deleted the first two layers of sketching.   ha. I'm sure this is done all the time in digital drawings, it just takes us common folks a little bit to catch on!!!

Still hate my handwriting but you gotta embrace what you have or improve what you got going. :)

Here is the feather a little more close up. Not perfect mind you but not bad either ;)

So what "Aha" moments did you have this week?  

Did you learn something new or have a coming to you know what talk with yourself about something stressing you out needlessly?

Curious minds wanna know!

*****

Here are the real (faux) feathers I did that inspired the drawings:

**If anyone is interested in feathers of your own, I will do special orders of 10 or more* Message me at jodiohl@hotmail.com    (sorry, until I carry them regularly, it's hard to do less then 10 at time because it is a pretty long process of creating them)


Have a great weekend!  Celebrate your triumphs this week and learn from your mis-steps!

Artfully yours,

Jodi

Final Words.....

One of my favorite parts of sending out a newsletter has come to be the section "Final Words".  Sometimes the passage is random, other times it has to do with the theme of what project I'm working on,  even stories shared from a student or customer every once in a while.

Part of my plan this year is to up my game in the content I am delivering via newsletter and growing my reach of subscribers so that those that are drawn most to my work, will have the first chance on exclusive specials,  or opportunities to be a part of limited spacing classes or retreats.

Here's  sample newsletter just sent out yesterday.  Be sure to read the last passage, "Final Words".  

I'm thinking in addition to blog posts, I will use some of your suggestions from my post "Creating Good Habits" as content as well to add to the newsletter in my 'final word' section plus other suggestions sprinkled throughout the  issue.  It inspires me to no end, thinking about the possibilities!

Is there anything you'd like to learn more about or be inspired with??

Click Here to read the newsletter, and if you'd like to join FUTURE issues, 2-4 times a month, click on the tab in the upper left corner.

Have a Happy Hump Day~!!!

BTW--today is the first day of my new class, "Podtastic"!!! Class opens to the public soon, join in at any time!