Journal GiVeAwaY

**This Journal contest has now ended***

*BUT stay tuned for many other GiVeAwaYs

 on my FaceBook Page here

-------------------

Dylusions NEW Creative Journal 

this GiVeAwaY has ended 

 over on my faceBook's Page 

Journal GiveAway Link

Check out this YouTube video 

about this new product I'm giving away

*********

Life Book 2013

Heads Up!

This is a really fun art class!

Life Book Class a celebration of honoring YOU

It is a year-long mixed media art class organised by Tamara Laporte from Willowing Arts.

During this year, I've really enjoyed the 2012 Life Book class.

Therefore, I can highly recommend the new 2013 Life Book class! 

It starts January 2013! But you can enroll anytime in 2013. 

No matter if you're a beginner or a professional artist, you will really enjoy this! You get 21 great mixed media art teachers from all around the world, teaching & sharing their special technique & talents, a new video lesson each week. Don't worry, you go at your own speed. It's a one year's fantastic journey offered at only $99. US dollars. A bargain worthy of the big happy dance ! 

I've enjoyed making new friends & meeting artist from all over the world, totally cool! I've enjoyed this so much that I've signed up for the "all new" 2013 Life Book. 

Follow this link to view the

Art Supply List,

Meet the Teachers,

Watch the video,

OK here is that link:

http://willowinglove.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/life-book-2013.html

Another GiVeAwaY

It's October GiVeAwaY Time

Want to win something?

Follow this link to my Facebook page to enter;

Laurie Jess Studio

Please Consider Adoption

1st Week Home after China Adoption

It took 2 full weeks before she would smile. Now she can't stop smiling, she's a very happy girl.
The full story

More Photos from China

Finale ISB Tee

For the ♥love♥  of my high school 

& just before hundreds of ISB Alumni

arrive from all over the world ☼ 

I volunteered to design & find someone (within budget)

to print out our High School's Reunion Tees. This turned out to be no small task as I had to redo my design 3 times, sheesh!

I did win a free nights stay at the hotel, ♡ it!   

Happily the tees turned out fabulous (even if I say so myself). 

For me, this will be my 40th high school reunion,

CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT! (there should be a shirt for that too)

☆ Click on image to super size:

Here is a video of that totally cool process ;

School's logo over the heart   ི♥ྀ

✿ Here's my daughter, the perfect little model ❀

The classical Thai Hanuman Monkey is our Mascot:

Below see 2 great tee shirt designs from years past.

These are from my last attended reunions,

Virginia Beach 2010 & Long Beach 1998:

Virginia Beach 2010

Long Beach 1998

Hey, if you are looking for a great silkscreen shop,

I highly recommend this place,

owner Lawrence Jenkins, a super one-man production

Hi Larry!

The 4 color Process, which really means "all colors"
✿¸.•°*”˜ƸӜƷ˜”*°•.•.¸ღ¸☆´ ¸.✿´´¯`•.¸¸. ི♥ྀ.
(¯`v´¯) ....♥ With love ♥
`*.¸.*.♥.✿´´¯`•.¸⁀°♡
☼*¨*• ˚°❀ღ ˚°❀ღ•*❤*•...have fun !

Magnet PrOjEcT

 Fridge Magnets

A simple little necessity, like the dot on the i
They hold special reminders on my kitchen fridge
I learned how to make these at Moo.com's website,
They call them Moognets,
Fridge Moognets
Click this for Moo's Inspirational Gallery link
for making cool magnets like artist Luisa Vidal
Lisa Vidal is an artist that lives in Spain & I'm grateful for her inspiration & lesson.

These are my Moognets,
My Moognets are not for sell,
You can only receive them as a gift from me!

I often give them away,

as a little "Thank You"

for "liking" my Facebook page

                                     Which design do you like?

I make these from my Moo.com mini business cards

I never sell these, they are always given as little gifts from me

GiVeAwaY Fun

Another Giveaway!

Today, (June 29th, 2012) 
I'm giving away 8 MAGNET Sets over on my FaceBook Studio's Page
At this link: 
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Laurie-Jess-studio

8 people can win (one set per person/address). Put your name under my Facebook's post titled "GiVeAwaY #2 Today" to win a chance for a Magnet. You can pick your favorite set. 

Now Go Here ;  
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Laurie-Jess-studio

Click on image to zoom

♡ GiVeAwaY

♥ Freebie ♥ over on my FaceBook's Page

Not on this page, but here;

Go to Giveaway Spot

1. To participate place your name at that FB link.
2. To be eligible you must "like" Laurie Jess Studio's page.

I happily ship worldwide.
Thank you for supporting me!

Tribute Drawings for Maurice Sendak

Maurice Sendak 1928-2012

I've just returned home to Colorado after a few weeks traveling all over Denmark. I was so busy playing tourist that I had completely turned off the world's news. I'm sadden today to learn Maurice Sendak died last week on May 8th. I will miss him. I especially enjoyed his quirky interviews with his fearless honesty. He always said it like it was. I was lucky to meet him just once at an event at Yale University, since that time, I have enjoyed following his career, and listening to his bold wisdom. I related to him immensely, and it goes without saying, I loved his art too, he will be missed.  

Maurice Sendak interview - video

(4 months before his death) 

In this video award winning American-born author of "Where the Wild Things Are" ( plus 100 other children's books), reflects on how this children's classic became the 'book of his life' and how he refused to write a sequel.

Click this to see his funniest interview, doing the Colbert Report 

Click this for meaningful video, Sendak On Death (And Life)

Listen here to a moving series of interviews with Maurice Sendak on NPR's 'Fresh Air' with Terry Gross...

Also,

If you would like me to include

your tribute drawing below

send yours to me,

studio@lauriejess.com;

Artist Pay Tribute to Maurice Sendak

from all around the world...

Deb Milbrath

Geoff McFetridge

Hanna Freiderichs

Harry Bliss

Jeff Koterba

Mark Streeter

Nate Beeler

Pat Bagley

Sarah McIntyre

Stuart Carlson

Watch Mary Engelbreit

Get insipired – watch Mary Engelbreit draw

This will also put a big happy smile on your face

♥ Double Mastectomy Tattoo

Epic Celtic chest tattoo

on breast cancer survivor

after double radical mastectomy

♥

It took one Sunday

each month & over 2 1/2 years to complete.

A wonderful inspiration

for many women in this same situation

who now can think about this alternative

beautiful solution.

Thanks Inga

 for this info

 & 

giving this wonderful story to the world;

Click for More Info Here:

Drawing A Drawing 365

Check This Out!!!

Artist Michael Shapcott Drawing A Drawing 365

Michael Shapcott inspires me!

I've posted about him on my facebook page but never here on my blog.

His portrait paintings stir emotions in me every time.

He has a unique way of capturing the human spirit. It's all in the eyes!

He also has developed his own magical techniques, little cool tricks.

Anyway, he's trying to fund a project, which I pledged an amount to help support. 

Check him out:

Watch a few videos of him painting

Surprise, a musician too!

And finally...you can learn more about Michael Shapcott and see more of his art here on his BLOG. Check it out, his work is beautiful, his blog is full of great stuff! 

Update: 2015 October;
Back in 4/2012, I sent money to Michael to help support his DVD Art Tutorial project. In return, he promised all who supported him a copy of that new DVD within a year. He failed to make good this promise, we were all left empy handed. He was paid over $75,000.
This was all part of the KICKSTART PROGRAM. To this date, now 10-19-2015_ I have emailed him many times and he always replies "its coming soon!" He has failed us all with an empty pledge, broken promise on the DVD part of the promise. I did get a printed art poster, and a tiny postcard but not the one thing I really wanted most_ the Art Tutorial DVD explaining his process. He is the only person (of the many projects I've helped) to Fail me on the Kick Start Program. 
I still believe in his talent but not his integrity :-(

Me _ Artist of the Month

I was surprised!

To learn it's all about me on Stacie's Blog

She picked me as her "Artist of the Month"

It feels like a confetti shower of praise!

Thank You Stacie !
Please leave comments over on her page! Thx!

Everything you might want to know about me & then some:

Laurie Jess - Interview

Stacie makes really beautiful Wearable Art Jewelry.

We are both currently taking a class called Life Book, 

that is how our paths crossed.

Please visit Stacie's beautiful shop at www.staciejewelry.etsy.com

China Adoption Journey

My China Adoption Photo Journey
Photo Journey;
 http://lauriejess.blogspot.com/2013/09/my-china-adoption-journey.html

This is a special story I'm posting to my Art Blog because it is my story. It is everything that influences my art, my passion & my life. This blog will always be a collective of visual experiences, points of interest, and thoughts from my noggin.

I hope this will inspire someone out there who is looking to have a child, or who might feel their time is running out. I was 49 when I adopted my first child. She has brought pure joy to our family, Maybe this will help you take that leap of faith!

I hope you will enjoy the following photo essay link; 

Click This For My China Adoption Photo Journey

1st Week Home from China Video

Click here to learn about the Adoption Agency we used & more;

Life Book Wk.12

Life Book Journal Class with Wyanne Wk. 12

Wyanne is a very creative artist & a fun teacher too! This week she had us make a "special envelope" for our journal book. This envelope will be a place to keep our special art complements.  Specifically, complements given to us from people about our art, including nice emails, note cards & such. These positive reminders are helpful when we need a boost to overcome our own inner critic.

I wasn't sure what to put in this envelope & then this happenned; http://staciejewelry.blogspot.com/2012/03/laurie-jess-artist-of-month.html

This project involved lots of fun experimentation with all kinds of new techniques & mediums.  She even introduced painting with coffee! I learned some cool techniques using coffee filters, paper towels, wax resist crayons. 
We were all reminded "no rules, go play" she said, "Experiment & have fun!"


Here is the link if you want to join our class, it is still open:
LIFE BOOK CLASS: http://willowing.ning.com/page/life-book-2012-open-for-registration
14 top teachers, currently 1125 students are enrolled & still joining.
It is a year long class, you go at your own speed, learning so many new art journaling techniques.

All levels are welcome. We get to meet people from all over this planet

& it is super fun too!

Painting on top of coffee filters & paper towels.
Let the wet watercolor painted paper filters & towels dry 
completely before lifting them off.
This makes some very cool effects. 
See that cup of coffee?
 Later, I painted my background with it!

See the cool textures you get from the paper towels?
Unfortunately, this went into the scrap pile because I hated these colors.
Time to play & experiment some more.

I experimented with dried leaves & watercolors.
I painted watercolor on top of a dried leaf
 & then pressed it down.

They were so pretty I decided to cut them out.
I added more watercolor & a white pen for details.

Ta da ... my final envelope's front view

Under the flap, finished inside view. 
I used a rubber stamp for that one upper leaf. 

I had organized my watercolor paints just before this assignment

Whoa, now I need to go clean up. 
My studio looks like a bomb went off