JO Blog

Good Morning! I haven’t listed original paintings for awhile and thought it was a good time to share some of the art I have made over the past months. I seem to pile them up around the studio and to not put them out into the world. I am trying to do better about that. […]

I always love giving you a sneak peek into the what we will be creating each week in Studying Under The Masters! This week Melody Ross is studying under Gustav Klimt and you will LOVE her take on the artist and the beauty she brings to the course. Take a peek… This 6 week online […]

I am not a design or DIY blog so I am always humbled and honored when bloggers that I adore and admire ask me to be a part of their home tours. This means so much to me because family, faith and friends mean everything to me and HOME is so much at the center […]

I am so lucky to be surrounded by amazingly strong and creative women. I guess luck doesn’t have anything to do with it.  I am picky and spend my time and energy building up healthy and loving relationships. My life is sweeter, funnier, more creative and more sarcastic because Danielle Donaldson is in it! If […]

What a Monday we are having! I am not even on my first cup of coffee and look what is already going on… 1. Week four of Studying Under The Masters III just launched and it is FULL of videos by artist Kelly Berkey! This course has lifetime access and it is so full of […]

This time of year is so fun with the changing of the seasons, the extra rain we get in Colorado, finishing up school and the excitement of pool days and vacations around the corner. I have mentioned many times how much I love music playing throughout the day, candles lit, books everywhere and the little […]

Summer to me means putting the school books aside, stopping all lessons of any kind, vacation, pool days, dinner on the patio, s’mores at night, books read and the ease of creating art wherever we are going! If you have been a part of my The Living Studio retreats or you follow the FREE online […]

I am so excited to give you a sneak peek into the gorgeous week that Ivy Newport has created as she studies under Marie Laurencin. She has lavished the students! Take a peek… This 6 week online course has lifetime* access and is $82. To read more or to register click HERE. You can also […]

I can often be heard saying that I feel peace in the country and alive in the city. I have had multiple international trips where I have purposely chosen to spend time in both the city and countryside…and the combo is magic! My trip began in Gardenstown, Scotland in a tiny fishing village by the […]

Ever since I have been a little girl I have been a lover of history, architecture, art and I have ALWAYS known…I would travel. I am greatly driven by my desire to learn, explore and to discover more of this world. My family makes choices all of the time that will make it possible for […]

Good Morning! I have loved seeing all of the work coming out of the Studying Under The Masters III online art course!  Last week I lead the study with Horace Pippin. This was an artist that I had never heard of until I saw his painting Christ Crowned With Thorns and I knew I had […]

It is such a rare and special treat for me to get away to create art just for me.  No teaching. No responsibilities. Just the joy of being still. {A piece I created while in Scotland from my sketches of Crovie and a vintage photograph of two women from the villages} I prefer to travel […]

Summer brings with it the promise of sunshine, long, lazy days and a slower, simpler pace we’ve all been craving. But, if you’re a mom or grandma, it might also bring with it two of the most dreaded words in the English language: “I’m Bored.” Enter 2015 Summer Art Camp for KIDS! A brand new […]

Tomorrow is the launch of the 6 week online art course Studying Under The Masters III. This is the final course of the series and I feel like we are closing this extremely successful and loved series with style!  The line up of teachers is truly incredible and I am honored to have such talented […]

Good Morning! Just a reminder that TODAY is the last day to get the early registration price for the new course Pattern Play: Create Your Own Professional Patterns in Photoshop with Ease.  This course is being taught by surface artist Bari J. Here is a peek into the content… Learn how to easily create patterns […]

Do you want to look at art with fresh eyes? Do you want to learn some of the mediums and techniques that have created some of the most interesting art in the world? Do you want to learn how to find your own voice in the world of art and how to make your art […]

(Image from Gillian Lee Smith) I am rushing around this morning trying to get everything in place so I can leave today for Scotland. This time I am not teaching or working at all. My husband has given me the amazing early birthday gift of studying with artist Gillian Lee Smith.  For the next 10 […]

I just finished my videos for my part of Life Book 2015 and I am loving how she turned out. My week launches in May but you can still join and have instant access to three months of art videos that have already been shared. You can join 24 other artists and me for all […]

Do you want to look at art with fresh eyes? Do you want to learn some of the mediums and techniques that have created some of the most interesting art in the world? Do you want to learn how to find your own voice in the world of art and how to make your art […]

Have you always wanted to learn how to create repeat patterns with your own sketching, painting or digital art?  Have you been looking for ways to create your own wallpaper, fabrics or paper designs?  Have you just wanted to understand Photoshop better and see how you can use it in your art work? I am […]

  I never (and I mean I NEVER) had any intention of ever teaching my children in high school.  When we started in kindergarten I was just taking it year by year and to be honest…I am shocked that 10 years later that we are still doing school together. At the end of last school […]

Life is funny and we are often pulled by expectations, dreams, status quo and sometimes even fear. I never planned to homeschool our children and as I look back over our homeschool journey so far I can sometimes be surprised we chose to do this crazy thing that has usually felt comfortable and natural and […]

(These photos have nothing to do with the post but what fun is a post without photos? I thought you would understand.) When you are a stay at home mom, homeschooler and entrepreneur with a home office… your worlds start to collide. There are days that without everything right here at home I know I […]