…everyone's invited!!

Dear very patient girls,
If you signed up to go lettering Loving, journal crazy with us February 1-29th, all the invites are sent.  (Just a few hours past what i anticipated) So woooooot wooooot, let's get this LETTER LOVE SHOW on the road!! Send me an email if you registered and still need the invite.  jzsharpe@yahoo.com

…my "art school" opens tomorrow!!!

Yes!!!!!!!  Just a teensy bit excited.

  Invites will be sent (by 3pm EST) on Monday to all who registered for the grand opening and my debut class "LETTER LOVE 101: ART JOURNALS.  The "school" (my online classroom) will be open tomorrow  for students to come and look around, check out the supply list and all the other goodies on the site. 

STUDENTS, WHEN YOU GET YOUR INVITE EMAIL, GO VISIT AND BOOKMARK the site, so you can come back to "school" (the private blog) when the 

first class goes live, 

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2012 (at midnite EST).

Share the LETTER LOVE!  

Right click on the little pic over on the left side of this blog,

copy link and post wherever you wish.

p.s.  Of course there's still time to sign up and join us, and the class will be open to new students forever, so come on!!

…altered doodles #26

No, this is not a cut out of the state of Tennessee, or any other state. 

 I'm on doodle day #26 and playing around with altering the drawings.  Fun!

….216 hours away!!

Letter Love 101: Art Journaling goes LIVE in NINE days!!!! (and give or take a few hours on that 216 number)  I must say that i am officially "beside myself" with excitement launching my  online class next WEEK!!!

I keep adding to all the lessons and think there might just be "too much" in this class?  Could there be such a thing?  Oh well, just means that there will be more to come after this one.  In the meantime, those who have signed up will be treated to a ton of fun and art adventure.  So much that they'll have to watch the class over and over again just to catch every morsel of creative wisdom!  And they CAN, because this class is open forever.

I've received so many beautiful messages, so excited and inspiring, compounding the fact that i have enormous artful expectations to live up to.  

I'm soooo ready. 

This is my debut class, i have butterflies, it's like having a first child again!!  

Okay, breathe...……………………………… (see!)

Still time to sign up!  Register at the link in the top left corner of this blog and see you on launch day, Wednesday, February 1, 2012! 

shine doodle...

Here's doodle 21 of DOODLE 365.  I must say that i am rather proud to have made it thus far, knowing that it takes 21 days to make a habit.  

Adding one extra doodle for this leap year i have only 345 little doodles to go!  

…scoop in my favorite magazines...

On the news stands at this very moment…..it's my honor and privilege to be published in TWO Stampington magazines this month!

SOMERSET STUDIO January/February 2012

  First, here's my Somerset Studio piece "One Page Wonder" in the "Lively Art of Lettering" section.  It colorfully shows my painted and hand lettered homemade journal that celebrates yummy color and a variety of my unconventional calligraphy.

 I must admit, it took my breath away to see a vibrant close up of my artwork on the WHOLE page!

 I'll be teaching this as a mixed media class called "One Page Wonder" at the Create Mixed Media Retreat in Somerset, New Jersey this July. Registration opens soon.

and second…
ART JOURNALING magazine WINTER 2012

Stampington's Art Journaling magazine was, a dream on my "vision board" last year.  Here i am again, in this beautiful article they called "A Life of Art"……..pitter patter, dreams come true, breathe….sigh!!!!  It never ever gets old seeing your name and art in print.

This article showcases my rich, juicy canvas panel journal that i will be teaching at Create Mixed Media retreats in California in May and New Jersey in July.  You can join us in person!!!

My artwork was printed perfectly, accurate color tones and byline, yay!!

***SCOOP ALERT***  Now, in each issue, they ask a few of the featured artists about their process and techniques. It's always brilliant! I was reading the text under my name on four of the topic pages, and thought, "hmmmm, i said that?  Doesn't sound like anything I WOULD SAY??!".  I was a little freaked out about it.  Especially that it said that i had no formal training (and i spent a fortune on my art education degree) AND that "lettering was the bane of my existence"(and i pretty much have based my career on my lettering!)

I contacted my very kind and gracious editor and she acknowledged the printing error.  She'll be noting the correction in the next issue.

A few days later, i got an email from Donna Mulholland, the extremely talented, whimsical watercolorist and yoga guru from Canada.  She informs me that the responses in the issue under my name are HER RESPONSES!!!  Mystery solved!  We had a nice chat and a good laugh, and know that "stuff happens". That's how we make new art friends.

So, when you are reading the issue, know that the text in these "Ask the Artist" pages identified as JOANNE SHARPE, really belong to Donna Mulholland.  Check out her blog, she has such a wonderful painting and journaling style.  She also blogged about this experience today.

…."lettering was once the bane of my existence"…DONNA MULHOLLAND

I'll say it again, it really is an HONOR to be featured in such beautiful publications that celebrate the talent of so many wonderful art souls. 

Thank you Stampington, for including me, appreciating my art 

and making this journey a great adventure with you!

the Color Cafe...

I'm a lucky girl (even have a doodle to prove it, below!) to have so many wonderful friends in the "art business".  It's rare to find those who freely share, encourage and support others in a very competitive industry.  Brenda Pinnick is one of those great people.  She's a talented artist who has licensed her art for years on fabric, gifts, flags and crafts products.  Brenda loves color as much as i do, perhaps that's why we connected instantly!

Recently Brenda created a blog called "Color Cafe" which celebrates color.  Just color!  I was invited to share on the blog and am featured today with a few of my most favorite colorful pieces.  Go on over!  Bookmark and enjoy.

watercolor today...

…doodling with color...

LETTER LOVE 101: Class Supplies Preview

Here's a little video elaborating on the supplies we'll be using in the first part of the Letter Love Art Journals class starting February 1st.


Hope this gives you a better understanding as to WHY we'll be using certain items.  Students will be introduced to an extensive list of materials during the course.  It's my intention that students LEARN about and UNDERSTAND the features and benefits of certain materials before PURCHASING!  We all know  how easy it is to "COLLECT" art supplies that we NEVER use again??  Am i right??  LOL!

This is going to be great FUN!

TWO things today...

First, here is DOODLE 13 of DOODLE 365. They say it takes 21 days to make a habit, almost there!

And second, about LETTER LOVE 101….. 

 There's still time to sign up for my brand new online class before we start Februay 1st!!!

GO AHEAD AND CLICK THE PAY PAL BUTTON IN THE TOP LEFT CORNER OF THIS PAGE

  

This weekend on my blog, i am posting a video about the FAQs i have been getting from all over the WORLD!!!!!  If it weren't for the internet, i would never be able to easily teach these wonderful folks from the Netherlands, Australia, Canada, Spain, UK, France, Switzerland, and 48 of our 50 states!!   It makes my head spin.  I get the nicest notes and emails from my "students" who are so excited about my new class.  It really is such an HONOR!!!

So….. come back over the weekend, and i'll SEE you here!

a grateful doodle...

…thankful for all the dreams come true and 

opportunities coming my way...

a do it doodle...

…taking action to make stuff happen...

shoe.

Just felt like doodling a shoe!

doodle in color…

…and a colorful doodle today...

true doodle...

…now THIS is what i call a DOOOODLE!!

the DOODLE TAB

I got some nudges.  

Thank you for the reminders!!  The good new is, i know you are looking for the doodles AND I am staying strong and true to my DISCIPLINE in the New Year.  I AM posting a doodle EVERY DAY!!  You won't see them in a blog post everyday.  Rather than take up my blog page space, i am tucking the little gems on a PAGE in my blog.  It's like i have TWO blogs in one place!    So if you are seeking my artful treasures, click on the DOODLE 365 tab under the blog banner, to view the art every day.


 I just purchased a huge bound journal to house these in, and will share that later.  But if you missed them  in the meantime, here are doodles 4, 5 and 6!

DAY 4:

DAY 5:

DAY 6:

DOODLE 365-3

Click on the DOODLE 365 tab above to view all doodle art.

Doodle 365

Happy New Year!  We are off and running with lots of promises, goals and dreams for 2012.  Many of us have chosen words to inspire our lifestyle for the new year.  

My word is DISCIPLINE.  

It's a perfect one for me.  As an "artist" it's easy to go with the flow, on my own time, when i please, because that's how one is inspired.  But i have various goals, and the only way to achieve them is with a plan, consistency, commitment and DISCIPLINE.

My first attempt at this promise to have more DISCIPLINE is "DOODLE 365".  I draw, write, doodle and make art stuff every day, so i thought, why not post that DOODLE everyday here on my blog? How fun will it be 365 days from now to look back on these little mini drawings that i made every day??  I can't wait.  These gems will all be no larger than 3" x 3", and may take just minutes or hours each day.  I started with my "Happy New Year" doodle on January 1, 2012.

Day #2 DOODLE 365 is about passion….

So come on by and click on the DOODLE 365 tab 

(at the top of the blog) every day.

  If, by the end of a day, you don't see the daily DOODLE leave me a comment and call me out on keeping my promise!  Gulp!!!  Make me accountable. 

   I'm excited.  Wishing you joy, wonder and blessings…….

joanne

welcome 2012...

…we're ready!