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When you think sketchbooks, one of these sounds like you?
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The Starter Upper:
You excitedly buy a sketchbook only to lose the habit on day 2, so you have a ton of them with one page finished.
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The Rainbow Brite:
You start using your pencil and think - wow, this looks kind of...colorless. I think I'd rather get out the paint.
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The "I'm Not Artsy"
Or maybe it sounded like a good idea at the time but you're not artsy so what on earth are you supposed to draw in it?
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It may surprise you to know that at one point, I was all three at once.
So what changed?
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This one idea:
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You may not know it, but Sketchbooks are made for more than just drawing.
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And even if you find yourself saying "I can't even draw a stick figure", they're for you too.
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Sketchbooks are made for painting with acrylics and metallics.
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Sketchbooks are made for delicate watercolors - or watercolor pencils.
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Sketchbooks are for racticing expressions doodling, and getting silly.
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And hold up - did you know that you can...make your own sketchbook or journal to take with you? And that it's easy to do?
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Our Featured Presenters
Three artists + 1 art teacher for 4-5 hours full of relaxation, creativity, and fun.
Ines creates friendly abstract straight from the heart, always with a hope to put a smile on your face!
Art is a form of communication, and her desire is to spread a positive message to as many people as possible. She realizes that some people love abstract art, and others hate it. That’s why she decided to be somewhere in the middle with what she calls Friendly Abstract Art, giving her work a stained glass appearance.
Born in Chihuahua, Ines finds beauty in the colors, culture, and nature surrounding her native homeland. The bold shapes and bright colors of her abstract style are inspired by the Tarahuamara Indians of Chihuahua.
She later moved to Beaumont, Texas where she is now a valued part of the community, donating paintings, teaching at events, and spreading the love of art everywhere.
Her studio name Amarte-Ama/Arte means to love yourself, love others and to love art.
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Anna firmly believes art is a thing everyone can do.Â
Even after her business studies, her year of Full Time Service as an Army Officer, she was strongly influenced by her artist mother and knew she would follow in her footsteps.
She believes it's about leading a richer life, and noticing and appreciating what's around you. She wants to inspire others to have the confidence to sketch their home, family, and memories. She wants to see others lose themselves in the mindfulness of pencils, paint and ink
When she's not sketching, painting, or having idea attacks about her new classes, you will find her in the kitchen with my kids, walking the studio dog, Maeby, or procrastinating about tidying up the garage. (But she's usually sipping coffee and sketching!)
Laurie Keller is a children’s book author and illustrator.
Her books include Arnie the Doughnut, (picture books and early chapter books), The Scrambled States of America, Do Unto Otters, Open Wide: Tooth School Inside, Potato Pants! and We Are Growing!, part of the Elephant and Piggie Like Reading series and recipient of the 2017 Theodor “Seuss” Geisel Award. She has also illustrated books for other authors including the Marty Frye Private Eye books by Janet Tashjian, I Am the Shark! by Joan Holub and Pluto Gets the Call by Adam Rex.
Laurie grew up in Michigan and always loved drawing, making crafts and writing stories but didn’t know that “regular” people could become authors and illustrators. She considered a career as a teacher or dancer but when she visited Kendall College of Art and Design’s student art exhibit and realized there were opportunities in the art world, she immediately changed tracks. Upon receiving her BFA in Illustration, Laurie accepted a job as an illustrator for Hallmark Cards in Kansas City, MO. After 7 1/2 years, she moved to NYC and began her career as an author/illustrator. Laurie loved living in the Big Apple but eventually moved back to Michigan to be closer to family.
When Laurie isn’t making books, she often thinks she should stop what she’s doing and get back to work! She enjoys traveling, reading, hiking, camping, playing with her cats and playing the banjo…not at the same time. Her cats HATE her banjo. So do her neighbors.
And your host, Julie Soul
Julie is the Founder and Co-owner of Soul Sparklettes Art, and helps thousands of art teachers, homeschoolers, and studio owners get inspired and empowered no matter how they teach art to kids.
A homeschooling mom to two sparklettes, a community art teacher, a writer with a writing and MA in psychology, Julie believes teaching art should be fun for kids, and for the adults who teach them.
Although she didn't go to school for art, she's been drawing and illustrating her stories, and teaching art to every child and adult she could get her hands on, and she can't wait to share her love of art with you.
When not developing art projects or teaching art to kids, Julie can be found drinking way too many shots of espresso, traveling around the world, reading books, and getting herself lost on hikes - and forgetting the snacks.
