Did you register for Creative JumpStart 2020 last January? If not, now is your LAST CHANCE to sign up for the CJS20 Super Power edition. The online workshop includes 31 downloadable video lessons by 31 different mixed media artists who are sharing their unique artistic super powers with you through project and technique lessons. The 10 minute video format is designed to fit into any busy schedule to encourage daily artistic practice and to help JumpStart YOUR Creativity!
Sign up HERE today – the workshop will no longer be available for purchase after September 20th, 2020.
Check out the promo video to see all the artists who are teachers for CJS20:
If you’re looking for a workshop to inspire you through an exciting variety of artistic styles, different mediums, and mixed media techniques, Creative JumpStart delivers. Learn more HERE.
So happy to share with you today a special video interview I did with one of our Creative JumpStart 2020 teachers: Mary Beth Shaw. I have known Mary Beth for years and she is also the amazing woman behind StencilGirl Products. In this interview Mary Beth talks about her CJS lesson and the fun you can have from “making something out of nothing” and getting insight from the thought process behind creating an artwork. Mary Beth also discusses her new live video projects, her focus on self care during these difficult times, and the power of technology and creativity to help us maintain social connections and keep us engaged.
I hope you join me later today at 12noon EST for a live Kaffeeklatsch Get Together chat on Facebook! It will be fun to check in with you this week :)
So happy to share with you today a special interview I did with one of our Creative JumpStart 2020 students: Christine Conley! I wanted to interview Christine because her experience with the online workshop was very special and super inspiring: she completed every single lesson (one each day in January as the workshop was first coming out) and posted her work on her Instagram for everyone to see and enjoy.
I was so impressed with her dedication to creating that I knew I wanted to learn a bit more about Christine. Here is a little interview I sent her and some of her gorgeous CJS inspired artwork too.
1. What is your name and where are you right now? Christine Conley Monroe, North Carolina
2. How did you learn about Creative JumpStart and what prompted you to Jump? I learned about Creative Jumpstart from Julie Fei-Fan Balzer’s blog and it sounded wonderful so I signed up immediately during the discount period.
3. How many of the 31 lessons have you tried? I completed all 31 lessons and loved them all!
4. What was it about CJS that motivated you each day to create? The lessons were very well done, by highly engaging artists. I felt so excited each day to get up and see the new lesson.
5. How did you maintain your dedication all through January? I had no trouble. I couldn’t wait each day to do the next lesson. Of course, I am older and retired so I am blessed with more free time than many.
6. At the beginning of January, did you have a goal? My goal, which I met, was to complete all 31 lessons.
7. What kinds of artwork and craft projects do you typically enjoy creating? Before Creative Jumpstart, I made cards, jewelry and pottery. I donate some of them to the gift shop at a missionary organization, and I use the rest for gifts.
8. Did CJS inspire you to use any different materials or techniques? Yes, I learned so much about different drawing and coloring materials, and I was inspired to make collage papers and do some journaling.
9 What would you say to a friend who is thinking about doing Creative JumpStart? I would recommend Creative Jumpstart to any person who enjoys making things, or who wants to get started making things. The instruction is clear and very interesting.
10. In 3 words, how would you describe CJS? Three words I would use to describe Creative Jumpstart are: motivating, exciting and excellent.
Thank you Christine for sharing your CJS experience! I just love hearing about your excitement and motivation through it all.
If you’d like to join us in the Creative JumpStart classroom and have access to 31 different mixed media lessons by 31 different mixed media artists – sign up and get started right away. Work at your own pace, try different materials and styles of creating, and download the video lessons for future inspiration too. You can even challenge yourself as Christine did to work on one a day. Regardless of how you approach it, it’s fun, it’s inspiring, and it’s a great community of artists and crafters to meet.
So happy to share with you today a special video interview I did with one of our Creative JumpStart 2020 teachers: Tonia Jenny. This is Tonia’s first year teaching with CJS and I am very happy to be chatting with her again to see what she is up to these days. In this interview Tonia talks about how she is taking advantage of more time at home both with art, craft, and with some culinary adventures. Tonia also discusses some of the projects on CJS that she is excited to try, she describes a bit more about her own lesson including possible variations on the process, and even shows us a special variation on the idea as a response to the reality of present times. I hope you enjoy this uplifting conversation.
Thank you Tonia!
You can learn more about Tonia (including links to her social media) on her website.
Sign up now for Creative JumpStart 2020 if you haven’t yet and make use of our special sale now – just $45 through the end of April 2020. If you have already jumped into the classroom, check out some of the tutorials and also work of other students again. There is so much inspiration in there: 31 different mixed media lessons from 31 Super Hero Artists like Tonia. Hope to see you in the CJS classroom soon :)
So happy to share with you today a special video interview I did with one of our Creative JumpStart 2020 teachers: Kae Pea. I have known Kae Pea for years and in addition to being a talented artist and educator, she is also the head of RubberMoon and ArtFoamies. In this interview Kae Pea talks about her artistic super power, a surprisingly approachable way to use watercolor paints, and an encouragement to use some of the stamps in your stash that you haven’t for a while. She also discusses her business and the heart that goes into that, as well as her educational content on Patreon. And we end the interview getting good and mushy so you definitely want to check that out!
Thank you Kae Pea!
You can learn more about Kae Pea (including links to her Patreon) on her website.
Sign up now for Creative JumpStart 2020 if you haven’t yet and make use of our special sale now – just $45 through the end of April 2020. If you have already jumped into the classroom, check out some of the tutorials and also work of other students again. There is so much inspiration in there: 31 different mixed media lessons from 31 Super Hero Artists like Kae Pea. Hope to see you in the CJS classroom soon :)
Enjoyed your video. Congratulations on purchasing Art Foamies – love them. I enjoyed your CJS class Kae Pea and I immediately bought the da vinci watercolor brush that you recommended. But…….it is still in the package it came in…..need to fix that. Need to revisit CJS 2020.
I am having a very special sale in response to these unprecedented and difficult times – Creative JumpStart (CJS) 2020 will be just $45 through the end of April. Yes, this is the online workshop CJS that started back in January – the Super Power edition. I know many of you are at home these days and looking for activities, a sense of community, and artistic inspiration. Join us for Creative JumpStart!
Here is the promo video to introduce you to our amazing group of 31 artist teachers. They have each contributed a lesson with the theme Super Power:
These super talented artists are sharing their artistic Super Powers with you through a project or technique lesson. There are 31 teachers and 31 lessons, spanning a wide variety of styles and media. The goal is to JumpStart YOUR Creativity. Learn more HERE.
And check out a peek of some of the artist’s lessons below:
Creative JumpStart is also about Community. The goal is to have a place to get together with other creative and artistic people. In the classroom you can comment on lessons and share your experiences and ask questions. There is a Show & Tell page where you can share your artwork and see what other students are creating. And of course we invite you to interact on social media with hashtags like #cjs20 and #creativejumpstart20.
We are a community of over 1000 people – and now is the perfect time to join in and make some new online friends :)
Already participating in Creative JumpStart 2020? Come back to the classroom and say Hi! Maybe revisit some of the lessons that you loved or techniques you haven’t tried yet. Show & Tell, post on social media, let’s get the conversation going and all enjoy a break from things with some artistic FUN.
These are unprecedented times of crisis and now more than ever we can see the beneficial powers of artmaking and getting involved with arts communities.
So happy to share with you today a special video interview I did with one of our Creative JumpStart 2020 teachers: Jen Crossley. I have known Jen for a few years now and have had the pleasure of teaching with her in the past. This is her 3rd time teaching with CJS and I am happy to have you get to know her a bit better now. In this interview Jen talks about loving to create from a very young age, then a professional start with paper arts, and finally moving to metal and found objects. She describes how art making helps her get a release from the pressures of life. She also talks about using vintage items and the stories and history that those items may or may not bring to a project.
And now it is your turn to make a commitment to creative play this year: Sign up TODAY for Creative JumpStart 2020 and get 31 different mixed media lessons from 31 Super Hero Artists like Jen. Hope to see you in the CJS classroom soon :)
So happy to share with you today some video interviews I did with some of our Creative JumpStart 2020 teachers: Marsha Valk, Andrea Chebeleu, and Iris Fritschi-Cussens.
First we have Marsha Valk who I have had the pleasure of working with for many years on different projects including online workshops and my Creative Squad. Marsha is from the Netherlands and she is an incredibly talented mixed media artist who always wows me with her work and her videos. In this interview we talk about the parallels between traditional printmaking techniques and modern ones that can be done in a home studio. She shares how she first learned about gelli printing. We also discuss how travel and visiting museums inspires our work.
Next is Andrea Chebeleu who runs A Work of Heart in San Jose (where I have taught workshops in the past) and is also a talented artist. In this interview she discusses ways to make time for art when you are juggling a busy schedule – which in her case includes not only running a business and family, but also fostering kittens who need homes. She champions the idea that you don’t need a lot of supplies to make art, it can happen almost anywhere with materials that you already have on hand. She also talks about a couple new materials that she has been playing with lately and her Etsy shop where you can find some of her creations.
Finally we have Iris Fritschi-Cussens who is with us for the second time for CJS this year and is an amazing expressive artists who I love to share with you. In this interview Iris talks about her personal motivations for creating art and the therapeutic benefits that she finds through creating and expressing her feelings in the safety of the creative space. She discusses authenticity, the not-so-nice feelings we all get sometimes, and allowing ourselves to be true to who we are. Iris also talks about what it means to call yourself an artist. She mentions Teresa Austin as in artist whose work she loves, as well as Egon Schiele and the Leopold Museum.
Be sure to sign up for Creative JumpStart if you haven’t already! The classroom is open and class began on January 1st. This year we have 31 amazing and diverse mixed media artists.
So happy to share with you today some video interviews I did with some of our Creative JumpStart 2020 teachers: Birgit Koopsen, Rae Missigman, and Joe Rotella. Three very sweet and talented artists to hear from :)
First up is my good friend Birgit Koopsen from The Netherlands who I have known as a friend for many years and who’s artwork I have always admired. In this interview Birgit discusses her journey into art journaling and mixed media, her natural ability to work with color, and how her artwork reflects her personality. She talks about the influence of travel on artistic choices and the lessons she’s learned from her students around the world.
Next we have Rae Missigman, who I have also known for years and who has such a wonderful fun personality that I think shows through in her art. Learn how she came to mixed media and art journaling from an interest in writing and crafting as a hobby, while today still keeping other hobbies outside her regular artmaking as a catalyst for creativity. Rae talks about carving out small amounts of time for art in a busy modern life, trying new materials without worrying too much about how they are “supposed” to be used, and the joys of her pocket journals.
Finally we have Joe Rotella, who I have also known for years and who is so much fun to hang out with that it is always a blast to have him on CJS. In this interview we joke and laugh the whole way through, but you will also learn how his mischievous and curious mind as a child sowed the seeds for his creative life to come. He talks tools, tech and magic. He encourages viewers to not be intimidated by new tools and tech. And he discusses how he visualizes and plans projects ahead in his style of working. There is definitely a bit of magic in the interview and for the ultimate laugh at the end, be sure to watch the bloopers :)
I hope you will join Birgit, Rae, and Joe and all the amazing teachers for this fun and inspiring challenge beginning in January: Sign up TODAY for Creative JumpStart 2020 and get 31 different mixed media lessons from 31 Super Hero Artists. Hope to see you in the CJS classroom soon :)
Enjoyed your video. Congratulations on purchasing Art Foamies – love them. I enjoyed your CJS class Kae Pea and I immediately bought the da vinci watercolor brush that you recommended. But…….it is still in the package it came in…..need to fix that. Need to revisit CJS 2020.
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