Announcing :: Paint, Color & Figure-Doodling with Jennifer Mercede

I'm super excited to announce that Jennifer Mercede will return to Studio CRESCENDOh this summer on July 20-21 to teach a 2-day workshop titled:

Paint, Color & Figure-Doodling

This workshop is a continuation of Jennifer's debut workshop from last year where she taught students in our studio her signature methods of doodling and painting.

This time around, there will be a new component added to the workshop where students will spend 3 hours working with a nude model, including an exploration of blind contour model doodling, followed with painting.


Space is limited.
For those who missed out on Jennifer's workshop last summer, I'm happy that this new opportunity may be here for you at just the right time.

Enrollment is OPEN NOW and you can enroll here.

See you in the studio. :)

A Workshop to Remember with Christy Tomlinson

Thought I'd share with you some photos and some thoughts regarding the 2-day workshop that we just finished in Studio CRESCENDOh with Christy Tomlinson. Here is our official group shot that we took at the end of the 2-days. Can you tell that we totally bonded? Because we did. It was an amazing group of artists.

I was so impressed with Christy's teaching style ... gentle, informative, generous, and patient ... and just so able to gently coax out the unique artistic voice in all who came.
And all who came included women with differing levels of experience, and an enthusiasm to make art.
Christy loved on each and every student and made sure that everyone experienced success.

One of the things I always love about events such as these is how Studio CRESCENDOh welcomes people from all walks of life without requiring anyone to jump through hoops or contests of popularity or other pretenses. I'm so proud that people can come and enter just as they are, to find acceptance, integrity, and a focus on art. This has always been important to me.

 

After two days of intense art-making, we had a final show-and-tell.
It was marvelous. We got to see the fruits of everyone's labor as we offered and gathered feedback.

By the time it was over, we didn't want to leave. We had all become SO bonded.
But you know what the good news is? Christy is coming back to teach in Studio CRESCENDOh! How cool is that? It'll either be later in 2013 or some time in 2014.

You heard it here first ... so for everyone who was on the waiting list for this workshop, I hope you'll stay tuned to our master calendar and get a chance to participate in the next one.

And of course no workshop is complete without the silly group picture, right? Here it is.

ONE FINAL NOTE:
A recap about this past weekend would not be complete without mentioning Chrissy Gardner. Chrissy is a dear friend of Christy's who came to the workshop to provide support and just a constant source of positivity and enthusiasm. I can't tell you how strongly I connected with Chrissy. I feel that the universe gave me a huge gift by introducing her to me through Christy and I'm thrilled to call her friend.

Chrissy is also a talented artist in her own right. She'll also be returning to Studio CRESCENDOh to teach a workshop on the totally NOW and totally fabulous topic of Chalk Art. I'm very excited. More on that later.

Many many thanks to everyone who made this past weekend so memorable. :)

Announcing :: 2-Day Workshop with Katie Kendrick

I am so honored to announce that the incredible Katie Kendrick will be teaching a 2-day mixed-media workshop titled Nourishing the Creative Heart in Studio CRESCENDOh this June 29-30.

During the workshop, Katie will help students explore personal expression, focusing on methods found in collage, painting, and a combination of those mediums to create personal mixed media work.

It's really more than a painting class. More than a collage class. It's a class where Katie will help students discover and uncover our authentic, creative selves.

Students are asked to bring watercolor paper, collage materials, paints, paintbrushes, and a few other tools and materials that will be used throughout both days.



I've been a fan of Katie's artwork for many, many years and I"m honored and thrilled that she is traveling all the way to southern California to offer this very special class.

Enrollment is now open here and space is limited. Students of all levels and experiences are welcome. Even if you've never painted before or you think you are "not an artist," we welcome you with open arms and open heart.

See you in Studio CRESCENDOh. :)

Art Walk Studio this Saturday, March 2nd from 7-10PM!

It's that time again.
Yup. It's the first Saturday of the month this Saturday, which means it's Art Walk Studio in Studio CRESCENDOh from 7PM to 10PM. Time to join lovers of art who will gather in beautiful downtown Santa Ana for a night of creativity, comraderie and ...

a book-signing of course! To celebrate Creative Lettering, there will be copies of the book available for a very special Art Walk Studio price that I'll have the privilege of signing.

Also present will be the talented Tara Wilson of Lulu Max Art who will have her beautiful artwork available for sale. So gorgeous.

Also present will be artist Lisa Guerin who will be facilitating yet another creative make-and-take activity. Hmmm ... wonder what she has up her sleeve!

And I'm also excited to announce that Nina Volpini will be our special guest singer who will be performing live during the evening. I love Nina's positive energy and her enthusiasm and her passion for the arts. It'll be a treat to see her perform.

Also present will be young whipper snappers from Orange County School of the Arts, and a whole bunch of other amazing people with whom you'll enjoy interacting.

OK. So it's Studio CRESCENDOh. 207 N. Broadwah, Studio L, Santa Ana, CA 92701. All together now: Wine. Cheese. Twinkle lights. Good converations with interesting people. :)

This is a FREE event. Parking is a bear. If you're parking on the street, you gotta bring your quarters and feed the meter every two hours. If you're parking in a lot it's about 7 bucks. But it's worth it. It's gonna be a great night.

See you at Art Walk Studio!

Announcing :: 1-Day Workshop :: Lace Ships with Holly Mason Abston

If you're like me, when you look at these lace ships by Holly Mason Abston, your heart will skip a beat. Gorgeous. And truly novel.

I'm very excited to announce that Holly has agreed to come to Studio CRESCENDOh to teach her beautiful 1-day Lace Ships workshop on June 8th.

She'll spend the first half of the day teaching students how to construct  the basic structure using thick construction-grade wire.

After lunch, she'll teach students how to attach lace, and fabric onto the wire structure, which will result in the most unique and stunning ships.

Enrollment is now open here.
This is a 1-day workshop.
See you in Studio CRESCENDOh. :)

The Awesome Stephane Lee

On this, the second and final day of Stephanie Lee's awesome plaster workshop, she taught students how to apply encaustic wax onto the pieces that they had layered with plaster, joint compound, paints, inks, and other assorted layers.

Here she is with Jenelle, assessing a piece that had been waxed before adding heat to it with a blow torch ... and then going for it and adding the heat.

Aside from the individualized attention that Stephanie gave each student, she provided an immense amount of information and knowledge through mini lectures and demonstrations.
A truly masterful teacher.

It was a dream come true for me to have Stephanie teach in Studio CRESCENDOh. I've been a fan of her art for so many years. Her minimalist aesthetic, her profound design sensibility, and the soulfulness and vulnerability that she allows into her works that connect with me so deeply.

I'm thrilled to be the owner of two of her original art pieces. You can see one of them here and part of the other here as well. I fell in love with them as soon as I saw them. Can't wait to hang them.
And guess what?

Stephanie will be returning to Studio Crescendoh in 2014 to teach a topic for which she has been a true maverick: metalsmithing. Very, very excited.

Recap :: January 2013 Art Walk Studio

Thought I'd share some shots from last night's Art Walk Studio with you. This shot was taken at about 3PM, right outside my studio building. Loved seeing people walking about, the air thick with anticipation for art and good times.

The entertainment for the night was Louise who sang two solos and then Louise and Monica singing a duet. Here they are with Rachel who completes their trio of friendship. :)

It was standing room only ... as everyone became so moved with the singing.
Also present was beautiful Janelle Van de Mortel with art that she was selling on behalf of WHOA Designs.

Lisa Loria was also there vending her incredible art, including these fantastic animal assemblages. She was accompanied by her darling daughter, Emily. Lisa will be vending again in the studio for the March Art Walk Studio so come by to see her art!
15-year-old artist, Alowd was also present (with his parents) to display his street-inspired art. When I asked him how long he had been making art, he said "Ever since I was young." What a great response. :)

Here's Lisa Guerin who was on hand leading the Spray and Doodle mak-and-take. Her gentleness and her encouragement drew droves of people to her as she helped validate the artist within everyone, from all walks of life. After witnessing her magic, I told her that she is The Art Whisperer.

Lisa's son, Brandon must have grown at least a foot since the last time I saw him and it was so wonderful to have him join us, along with lovely Anne. This is the team that helped from start to finish, pull off another perfect Art Walk Studio night. It was so much fun.

Our next Art Walk Studio will be Saturday, February 2, 2013 from 7-10 PM. Fantastic featured artists selling their work, a fun make-and-take, entertainment ... and you know the rest ... all together now: Wine, twinkle lights, and good conversation.

Hope to see you there!

 

Spray and Doodle in Studio CRESCENDOh

Check out my doodled peacock feather. I made it late one night, using one of my favorite doodling methods as of late.

I start by spraying awesome Dylusions ink sprays onto a spread in my journal ...

I spray from high, from down low, at an angle, I unscrew the top and make some of it dribble out and then stare at all the marks as they start to dry.
Once dry, I take one of my favorite black markers and start doodling. Nothing planned, necessarily. Just stream-of-consciousness. It's so fun.

If you'd like to try this method out with me, I hope you'll drop by Studio CRESCENDOh tomorrow night, Saturday, January 5, 2013 from 7-10PM. Along with awesome art that will be for sale by the talented Lisa Loria, Jenelle Van de Mortel and yours truly, there will be awesome live music and a table dedicated to have everyone who wants, try out this spray and doodle make-and-take activity.

It'll be fun! Here's the address:

Studio CRESCENDOh
207 N. Broadway St., Studio L (upstairs)
Santa Ana, CA 92701

Parking gets crazy on Art Walk Saturdays so plan accordingly! The event is FREE. See you then!

Art Walk Studio Coming January 5th from 7 to 10 PM

Those who were at Art Walk Studio in October will remember being blown away by singing phenom Louise Bearzi. It was a packed house.

Well, I'm delighted to announce that Louise will be singing for us agin for the January Art Walk Studio, on January 5, 2013 (!)

And as a special treat, Monica Mouet will be joining Louise for a duet as they cover one of my favorite songs: Falling Slowly by Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova, made famous in the movie Once.

In addition to the singing, we will be having some cool artists showing and selling their art.

This is a FREE event. We'll be setting up at 6ish and the programming will be from 7-10PM. Parking gets a bit hectic on art walk nights so please plan accordingly.

Louise will sing at 7:30 and again at 8:30. Hope to see you there. As usual, this is a FREE event ... no need to RSVP. Just show up to enjoy the art, wine, music, twinkle lights, and conversations with art-loving people. A GREAT way to start off the new year. :)

PS: If you are an artist who would like to display your art, there is still space. Here's the info.

Exclusively for Studio CRESCENDOh

EARTH without ART is just EH, don't you think? I love that. And I love that I'll be offering bumper stickers and shirts at the Handmade Holiday Boutique to help all of us spread this truth. For those who have asked me, I won't be offering the shirts or the bumper stickers online. You gotta come to the studio to get yours. :)

Also exclusive to the studio will be the AWESOME Dylusions journals.

I've had a tough time keeping these in stock because once you hold it, you won't want to put it down. It's the best blank journal that I've seen in a LONG time. Thick pages with a nice envelope to keep all of your journal fodder ...

... and big thick pages ready to receive all of your doodles and journaling. These journals are also exclusive to Studio CRESCENDOh. I won't be selling these online.
I will also be offering my very FAVORITE FOUR go-to pens that I use for journaling ... all bundled up and ready to give to the art enthusiasts in your life.

In terms of handmade goodies, I'll be offering tiny coloring books and tiny blank journals. They're tiny in size and huge in style.

And then of course some crocheted goodness ... like these jam jar cozies ...

and some knitted and crocheted hot pads ...

... some faces on books ...

... and some faces on crocheted cans ...

And of course all of my books signed and ready to be given as gifts, as well as spools of Crochet Hemp. Oh yeah, and soem of my paintings.

You know why I love art? It's because TRUE art excludes no one. It allows everyone to participate where they are, with what they have. For me, it's what gives meaning and beauty and depth to this earth, this life.

Come join me and Pam and Amy this Saturday from 10-4. Hang with us as we celebrate art and usher in the holidays.

Love, Jenny