Goings On!

I was just looking over the calendar and finished updating our Events page with some things that are coming up over the next nine months, and I can’t believe that we’re almost into August already. Where has the summer gone? Art Unraveled is next week! How did it get here so quickly? If you haven’t registered yet, online registration closes tomorrow. After that you’ll have to register on site. We still have plenty of room in our workshops on Tuesday and Wednesday of next week, and we’d love to have you.

Beyond Art Unraveled, the Fall is definitely shaping up with lots going on. But since I am no longer gainfully employed as a public school art teacher, a busy schedule is definitely a good thing. Dave and I will be traveling to Florida and Colorado for their state’s Art Education Conferences. We’ll be giving a keynote speech as well as one or two workshops at each conference. If you’re an art teacher in either state, come out and see us in the fall. We’re looking forward to connecting to all the art educators.

In a departure from our normal thing, I’ll be presenting at a veterinarian conference in October. I’ll be presenting about using the visual journal as a tool for coping with a beloved pet’s illness or passing. I’m looking forward to taking the visual journal to a different audience. My wife, who is a licensed veterinarian technician, says she can’t wait to take a workshop with me. It’s nice that our worlds can come together.

Dave and I will be heading back to Portland, OR for Art and Soul in Spring 2017. We’ll be teaching three workshops at this annual retreat. It’s never too early to plan a trip to Portland, and registration is open. I’m hoping to set up more workshops for the Fall and Spring at other venues both near and far, and I’ll keep things updated.

Besides all of the workshops, I have other things going on, and I’m busy working on things and figuring out the details.

First, I want to get an online shop going. I’ve dabbled in selling things through the JFJ website on and off over the years, and right now there are some resources available along with one online workshop. But I want to get a dedicated shop up and running by mid August, and I’ll have artwork for sale along with some downloadable resources. The plan is to sell paintings, drawings, and sculptures including my monsters along with a few downloadables.

Second, I want to get some more online workshops going. I had really hoped to have several up and running right now, but it wasn’t possible with teaching full time. So look for a couple to launch between now and the end of the year.

Third, I have a big project in mind that I’m giving myself until the Spring to bring about. David and I have talked about trying to get another book published, and we’ve submitted a few ideas, but nothing has taken off. So, I want to self publish something and make it available for download - another reason I need an online shop. Look for something more formal in a couple of months after I hammer out some logistics.

There’s a lot cooking in the JFJ kitchen, and I’m excited to be teaching workshops and working on lots of other projects. Stay tuned for updates! In the mean time, check out our Events page for an update of all the workshops, and check out the JFJ website for details about our currently available resources and online workshop.