Books & Brushes - A World Tour?

​This is truly a glorious day!! I love when I get to share something that I've been working on behind the scenes. It's hard for me to stay quiet, but I managed to keep this one under wraps for almost a year. Today I can finally share that I've started a workshop series that will potentially bring me to your corner of the world. That means we may actually get to make art together, bind books in person, share a cup of tea and talk fountain pens, but most of all, it means we may get to HUG!!!! WOOHOO!!

I realized that I have some amazing artsy pals all across this planet and I want to feel the energy of community in person from time to time. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE LOVE LOVE my online family, but sometimes a girl just needs a hug in real life -- right? Right. And so Books & Brushes was born. 

What is Books & Brushes?

As you may know, my husband and I are living a nomadic life right now. We put our things in storage back in November 2017 and have been living out of a suitcase ever since. It has it's ups and down I'll admit, but NOTHING compares to what it feels like to live a life without regret. 

So as we travel the U.S., Canada, and abroad, I will be sharing my love of creativity, bookbinding, and printmaking with anyone who will join me. The Books & Brushes series is part wanderlust, part creative exploration & experimentation, and part community building. As Damon and I travel we are also in search of our next place to call home. That means we are auditioning places -- checking out the local food, art, and natural living scenes. What better way to do that than to visit a place and connect to the artistic folks who live there or nearby? 

Books & Brushes is my way of connecting to community (old and new) while I travel. Each workshop will be unique in that it is based on the artist I'll be collaborating with and the best of what the local area has to offer. Every workshop will have an element of bookbinding and printmaking (my two areas of artistic expression) and whatever skillset the other artist brings to the table. The length of the workshops will vary as will the registration rates. 

First Stop on the Books & Brushes Tour

The first stop on the tour takes me to my old "stomping ground" -- Jacksonville, Florida where I'll be teaching a fun workshop with my dear friend, Kelly Johnson of Wings, Worms, and Wonder. If you don't know Kelly, where have you been? I talk about her ALL THE TIME. We've done lots of artsy things together and spent an entire week together last year (where we cooked up the idea of doing a workshop together). 

It feels PERFECT that the first stop is with her. We will be in her neighborhood of Neptune Beach (a little beachy community on the Jacksonville coast). Using the beach and local park as inspiration, we will bind two handmade journals and fill them as we reconnect to nature and all the things the  Atlantic Ocean has to offer us.  CLICK HERE to secure your spot. 

If you're thinking that you need a little getaway to the beach, CLICK HERE to get more info on our specific workshop and grab your seat. There are only 12 spots and we really want to meet you there. Oh, and in-person workshops are just more fun with a friend, so grab a buddy and sign up today. 

If you want to know more about Kelly or you're new to me and need to see my teaching style and energy, join us for a free Artsy Meetup on June 28th where I'll be teaching you to make a little journal and Kelly will show you how to fill it up with beach-inspired art. 

Other Stops on the Tour

I know you probably want to know if I'm going to be in your neck of the woods. Well, maybe!! I'll be announcing more dates and locations soon. I'm bursting at the seams to tell you the other locations. But don't wait, go ahead and let's connect in Florida this August!!!!

Don't like to travel? Bring me to your town. CLICK HERE to contact me and start the process of bringing a Books & Brushes workshop to your community (your seat will be free :-). 

Okay. That's my good news for this week. I hope you're doing something creative that brings you more joy than you can stand!!! See you in all the many places that we share. 
xoxoxo