I will be coming back to the Donna Downey Studios and we will have two days to play with storytelling through our art with fabric dying, journal making, sketching, paint, collage and more. Whether your subject matter is landscapes, portraits, or still life, you will...
Everything your business needs is everything you have always been! It took me most of my life to let that truth sink in and your business is the same way! Your business needs your gifts, your passions and your story to be set apart! If you are ready to take your...
Everything your business needs is everything you have always been! If you are ready to create a life and business that looks like no one else then it is time to see all of your gifts with fresh eyes. This past March we held our first live business workshop here at our...
Last year on May 4, 2017, I was just wrapping up an all-day workshop in my studio with local teenagers. The teachers and students had just walked onto the bus when I started to walk back down our gravel driveway as I saw Kelly approaching me. He let me...
***THIS WORKSHOP IS SOLD OUT*** The official launch date of my new book, The Painted Art Journal, is July 4th and because we were going to already be in Nashville and Franklin, TN at this time we decided to celebrate at our home away from home! We have been shown such...
Because you asked we really tried! I am now teaching THREE live workshops this year in my studio. We have released all of them so you know exactly what I am teaching over the whole year. I hope by releasing them all that it helps you know which one is for you! I would...
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...
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...
Jet lag is still my sidekick as I try to settle back into day-to-day life after France. These extra days of adjusting are also good for my heart and mind as I process once again the beautiful opportunity of travel. As I download photos, unpack my suitcase, wash...
Being a wife, mom, friend, business owner, household manager, school juggler and creative are some of the hats I wear. I know you are the same and probably more. I also know that if I am not intentional with my marriage, children, schooling, business, creative time...
Sometimes we get to be wild explorers and travel far away, other times we can connect with other creatives not far from home and at other times we have the joy of hunkering down right where we live and creating among our day to day life. Each one of these are life...
******ONE spot just opened for this sold out art workshop on this sold out ship****** 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,...
******The ship has offered us $1000 off until the end of April! If you have been on the fence about coming on The Living Studio Along the Seine I wanted to give you a reminder about the discount. The retreat is filling up and I want you to get this discount if you...
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...
I love to travel, explore new parts of the world, try new foods, take in the local culture, take my time in an art museum and find the perfect place to create. Creating art and traveling has helped me to grow as an artist in ways I could have never imaged. Recently,...
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,...
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...
A few years ago when I came up with the concept behind The Living Studio I had hopes of traveling with women, connecting with different cities and creating outside the studio. My heart’s desire was to encourage women to get out of their comfort zone and to...
Thank you to everyone that shared their excitement over the new Living Studio retreats and the online series coming soon! Thank you for also sharing the two new retreats coming up in 2015. I would love to explore and create with you in Savannah, Georgia or Normandy,...
I have been waiting to do an official launch of the new The Living Studio | City Art Walks Around The World retreats and online classes! This is almost two years in the making and it is beyond fun to finally see it coming together. I was waiting until I could do a...
My heart behind The Living Studio is that we will all learn to explore and create wherever we live. I hope to inspire people to step out of the comfort of their studios and out into the world and boldly create based upon the beauty all around them. This unique retreat...
This past summer I was able to launch The Living Studio | City Art Walks Around The World in Bellagio, Italy. My heart behind The Living Studio is that we will all learn to explore and create wherever we live. I hope to inspire people to step out of the comfort of...
This morning I went on an early morning jog real quick before I needed to make breakfast for Jack and Maddy. Jack started high school last week (he has homeschooled up until now) and Maddy is starting a new two day a week school program for homeschoolers (that is 30...
We just returned from two weeks in southern California and we are still adjusting to missing our friends and the ocean. Our trip was magical in so many ways and the friends we stayed with lavished us with open arms, good food, laughter and incredible adventures. After...
**Today is the last day to get 50% off my online classes and to enter for all of the giveaways being offered on THIS post** {Did you know I hate to fly?} Seattle is one of my favorite places in this country. I don’t know if it is the mountains mixed with the...
**SOLD OUT** Do you remember when I first told you about my idea for The Living Studio {city art walks around the world}? “I wanted each retreat to be one of a kind. Each city has a heartbeat all its own and I wanted to hear it and share it. I wanted the retreat...
If you are lucky enough you will find a friend that will deal with desperate phone calls and pleas to fly to Mexico to create art. If you are lucky. I wouldn’t have taken this trip without Alexis. So glad I don’t know what it would have been like without her. If you...
I have loved looking through my Italy Instagram photos for these posts. I didn’t pick up my camera very often and I have to admit that using mainly my phone made me enjoy the moments more. I want to make a book with all of the Italy Instagram photos and I will...
I mentioned in my last post that I didn’t sleep the whole night before I was to teach my first class in Bellagio. You can get really tired after teaching for hours anyway…but add no sleep and you can be in trouble fast:-) So, I knew my only choice was to...
{all photos in this post were taken with my phone camera} Before I share anything I have to start here…. The fedora. I have begged Kelly to wear hats for years. I think he finally just felt sorry for me and how pathetic I look when I beg. It only took going to...
{all photos from a recent trip with friends to wine country} I used to think I was an extrovert. What I am discovering is that I am an introvert (AKA hermit) and an occasional extrovert (AKA party animal). Every 2-4 months or so I will get together with friends here...
I recently returned from teaching at Nurture Your Creative Seed. This was the first retreat of Serena Berry {and I am sure so many more will be coming}. I came in a day early to play with my good friends Lissa and Kim. We ate our way through the city {the best way to...
Last fall as I was walking with Kelly through the Tuileries Gardens I instantly knew what kind of art retreat I wanted to create. I am not the person that dreams of having art retreats or had even been planning to ever create one. There are so many beautiful and...
{All of the photos in this post are from my recent trip back to Montgomery, Alabama. We walked through my old college and walked around my grandma’s neighborhood. Always beautiful} Early Friday morning I boarded a plane to Montgomery, Alabama for a memorial...
My Grandma Jeanne would look around the room at her large family, raise her glass, smile and then say, “My cup runneth over”. That is all she needed to say. We knew exactly what she meant and we felt the same thing. It was an abundance of heart and love....
While I was in Paris and Normandy I found myself reaching for my iPhone more and more. With my camera phone, Instagram, fun filters and editing it is so easy to capture moments and love the results. I find that my kids smile more with the camera phone, I can take...
It is that time of year again! It is our annual PRINT SALE! This only happens once a year and it is big! All prints are 50% off for this week only. (and this price includes shipping too) Amazing price and a good time to stock up for Christmas, birthday presents and...
I thought going to bed with the windows open and listening to the sound of the busy cafes below was pure music…. Waking up to the sound of the street coming alive was even better. As we were getting ready for our day we could hear the streets being swept, carts...
When you touch down in another country you are most likely dealing with exhaustion, excitement and coffee shakes all at the same time. You may also be walking around in a state of tired delusion. That was us the first day. We flew through the night and landed at 8am...
I love my Canon 5D Mark ii. I really do. I have been cheating on it for awhile now though and I am not ashamed. I use the inferior camera on my iphone everyday and I use Instagram to document our days. It is not just the ease of Instagram that has me hooked but all...
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