JO Blog

  I have been waiting patiently to announce my first workshop of 2018! I will be coming back to the Donna Downey Studios and we will have three days to play with portraits! I only travel to teach a few times a year because I love to be home with my family and I also teach in […]

Carrying my artist’s journal around with me wherever I go and finding new ways to capture and tell the stories that surround me has become one of my sweetest art journeys. Art journaling has given me a fun and easy way to PRACTICE and in turn, change my art. I am honored to tell you […]

The neighborhood pool closed yesterday so I guess fall is around the corner! Thank you for joining me for the Seasons of Home Holiday Series hosted and created by Kristen Whitby of Ella Claire. Come back each week over the next few months and get peeks into our home dressed up for Fall and Christmas.  […]

***Final 24 hours to get the early registration of $28 for Scribblepedia*** The price will go to $48 at 10am MST on 9/3/2017 I love early registration day because you get to see a teacher and project that we have had to keep quiet until NOW! I am so thrilled to announce that Rae Missigman […]

With Kelly working with me full time, we have had a little more time for some new fun projects. One of the things I wanted to start doing is to share a little more behind the scenes in our day to day life. Because I am still in full on book deadline mode we didn’t […]

  As a creative that also runs a business I work alone a lot. This is time I desperately need to stay focused and true to myself. I also make it a priority to say YES to at least one incredible collaboration a year so I have the beautiful inspiration, comradery, and lavishing that comes […]

Want to go on a creative adventure and figure some things out about yourself on the way? Today we are opening early registration for a brand new collage course being taught by art educator and therapist Stacy Bynion Stultz! Stacy will be leading us in Exploring Your Fears Through Collage! We all know the healing power […]

We have 100 bags that have just been listed in the shop! We have 6 styles and 18 different vintage fabric choices. We won’t have more bags until we launch our new creative network and website this fall. We hope you love them! Here is just a peek of what is in the shop…   […]

***24 hours left to get the early registration price of $28 for Kate Thompson’s brand new online course Fancy Lassies*** Kate Thompson is back on our creative network! We are so fortunate to gather some of the most incredible artists around and we are honored to have Kate back and this time teaching how to […]

I love that our creative network has allowed us to teach and learn with thousands from all over the world and to gather in the most unusual and incredible way. I know we have all made friends and kindreds because of the power of the internet. I also know that meeting in person is powerful and […]

I love early registration day because you get to see a teacher and project that we have had to keep quiet until NOW! I am so thrilled to announce that Rae Missigman is coming to our creative network for the very first time and she has created a gorgeous course just for us! Scribblepedia |Text […]

Kate Thompson is back on our creative network! We are so fortunate to gather some of the most incredible artists around and we are honored to have Kate back and this time teaching how to make her whimsical girls! Kate is one of the most extraordinary artists that I know and I have no doubt […]

It is Friday! That means the weekend and extra time and…   We have a brand new mini course just for you! Kelly Hoernig has created the most fun art resource in her newest course Paper Palettes | A Color Discovery Mini Course!  COLOR? Are you stuck in a rut? Are you confident about your […]

  Join Stephanie Lee in beautiful Castle Rock, Colorado on November 10-11, 2017 for a two day art workshop. Our studio is light filled and surrounded by wooded property that lends itself to exploring, creating and relaxing. You will have opportunities during the workshop to also make your way through some of our wooded paths […]

My parents had been married a few years when I was born and with only a semester left in college my mom put it on hold to stay home with me. I was a senior in high school when my mom finished and earned her teaching degree. She didn’t walk across a stage and the […]

Re-post from January 2017. The New Year is not the only time you need to stop and re-evaluate your business and where it is going. Take time each month to adjust the things that are and are not working. Getting your business and your own creativity back on track should be a regular part of […]

  About five weeks ago we were told (out of the blue) that Kelly’s agency was bringing all field agents back to DC.  This would be a mandatory reassignment. We would have until mid-September to be back in DC to still have a job.  We met in DC and our Jack was born there but we […]

I am a birthday girl and try to squeeze every last bit out of it on that day. When people say they don’t really care about their bday’s I do not relate to those people. At all. One day all about me and what I want to do and everyone smiles the whole day while […]

We only do this twice a year and this will not happen again until January 2018! For the next 48 hours we are having our Semi Annual 50% off Online Class Sale! No coupon is needed! This is the perfect time to stock up on all of those online classes that you have been dreaming […]

We have just opened up a second weekend to our sold out workshop Wild Awakening! Join me in beautiful Castle Rock, Colorado on October 6-7, 2017 for a two day art workshop. Our studio is light filled and surrounded by wooded property that lends itself to exploring, creating and relaxing. You will have opportunities during […]

Good Morning! I wanted to let you know that  In The Garden | A Tunnel Book Course begins on Monday (May 22nd) We have never had a course like this before and I know you are going to love it!  In The Garden | A Tunnel Book Course with Kelly Hoernig is stunning and I can’t wait […]

***Look What We Found a Few More of*** Welcome to our art bags the Caroline Art Bag and London Art Bag!  They are stunning! Each bag is made from four different vintage fabrics including vintage French linen! They are so dreamy! Our art bags were inspired by my The Living Studio series and retreats and the […]

  The Living Studio workshops were created because there was a void in the art workshop world. The Living Studio would be about exploring a new place and creating art everywhere we went.  When we had scheduled classes they would be shorter to give you the techniques to get back to the museums, the cafes, […]

I was volunteering at a local high school enrichment program and I had the students all day.  We were going to start with sketching and then create sculptures based on our sketches. I had my supplies out, sketches taped to the wall and supplies at each of their spaces to begin. As they started filtering […]