Jenny Doh

Top 10 Things I Learned form Mary Beth Shaw

I learned so much today from Mary Beth Shaw ... but here are the top 10.

10. I love wood icing.

9. Mary Beth likes to drink skinny vanilla lattes.

8. You can stencil almost anything.

7. Limiting the number of colors you work with results in extraordinary results.

6. Blending colors isn't as scary as I thought, and learning Mary Beth's methods has opened up a whole new universe in terms of painting.

5. Inktense colored pencils don't reactivate with water.

4. Mary Beth likes to eat beets.

3. Tinted gesso is great for building layers.

2. Mary Beth is an official Golden-certified color expert.

1. Mary Beth will be back in 2015 to teach in Studio CRESCENDOh. (Sorry, can't reserve your spots ahead of time. Please just stay tuned to our master calendar. Thanks.)

 

I See Boat People :: Paintings & Other Works

When I learned of my brother Jinil's untimely death this past November, I started folding boats. As I was folding them, I could hear the sound of my daughter's voice in my mind, singing the song, Falling Slowly, which has lyrics that go like this "Take this sinking boat and point it home we've still got time ..."

I was also thinking about the hymn that my large extended family sang in the airport in Seoul, Korea back in 1974 as we made a large circle, holding hands, as my mom, dad, brothers Jim and Jinil, and I were ready to board a plane that would take us from Seoul to Los Angeles.

The verses of the hymn when loosely translated go something like this:

The grace of my Lord God is deeper than the ocean,
Anchors away, and travel toward the middle of the sea.
Leave the shore, take your boat over the waves,
Sail through the ocean of grace, my Lord Jesus.

This hymn. When I think about it, when I sing it, brings me to tears and brings me to my knees.

Though we were boarding a plane, it felt similar to boarding a boat as we would indeed be leaving the shore to cross an ocean to embark on the biggest journey that the five of us as individuals and the five of us as a family unit would experience.

Asian immigrants ... whether they travel by boat or plane, are referred frequently as "fresh off the boat" or "boat people."

This past December, one of the best things that happened to me was a visit to the Brooklyn Museum. During this visit, I was able to see the famous permanent exhibition by Judy Chicago: The Dinner Party, which celebrates women's contributions to society by celebrating, respecting, and honoring the very essence of femalehood. During this visit, I also saw the phenomenal works of artist Wangechi  Mutu whose multi-faceted narrative embraces the intersections of nature, sex, and culture. I know that these works have influenced me greatly and encouraged me to lose my inhibitions as I explore similar themes in my art.

So the boats have naturally evolved into boat-like people at times, or parts of people ... mostly women ... as I seek to explore the facets and folds of what it means to be the woman I am, and how it feels to hold onto a string of the boat that symbolizes people, places, and things I don't want to lose and don't want to forget.

This February 1st I'll be showing my paintings and other works that have been created as part of this journey. It'll be an imperfect show that may be shown again as works continue to evolve. But even with its imperfections, I'm happy to have the time and space to share my story.

You're invited.

Studio CRESCENDOh
207 N. Broadway St., Suite L
Santa Ana, CA 92701
email: [email protected]

I'll be there from 5-10 but the two hours when most people will be there during this art walk night are the hours from 7-9PM. Look forward to seeing you there and having you witness my story.

Announcing :: Stencil Your Art Out with Mary Beth Shaw!

I'm very excited to announce that Studio CRESCENDOh will be hosting artist, author, and instructor, Mary Beth Shaw and her special 1-day workshop titled Stencil Your Art Out on February 8, 2014!

If you've ever wanted to learn the tips, tricks, and secrets on how to make stencils work for your mixed media art, you'll wanna join Mary Beth ... also known as Stencil Girl ... who is truly an expert when it comes to all things stencil. Enrollment is open right here.

 

Announcing :: Painting Bold as Love with Alena Hennessy

I'm a big fan of Alena Hennessey's beautiful work as she uses bold ink colors and minimalist imagery to create works that stir the soul. And so I'm very excited to announce that Alena will be teaching a two-day workshop in Studio CRESCENDOh, March 29-30, 2014. The workshop is titled

Painting Bold as Love: Tapping into the Wild Muse

I hope you'll join me and Alena in the studio in March as we explore depth, flow, texture, line, and sacred markmaking. She will introduce us to a variety of matierals that will likely open new doors for creativity and possibilities in each student's art process.

Enrollment is NOW open here.

Sneak Peek: My Project for the 2013 12 Artsy Ornaments Online Class

Thought I'd give you a sneak peek of the project that I'll be teaching for Christy Tomlinson's online 2013 Twelve Artsy Ornmanets Christmas Workshop!

They are Crocheted Chalkboard Ornaments. So cute, right?

And for those of you who would prefer to not crochet, there's a non-crocheted variation that I'll be showing you how to make as well.



I'm looking forward to seeing you in Christy's class as we all get our homes and hearts ready for the holidays ... the time of year when I am reminded that peace on earth really and truly does begin at home and it begins with me.

Here's the complete line-up of all the 12 teachers for this wonderful online class:

Julie Fie-Fan Balzer • Jenny Doh • Maggie Holmes
Margie Romney-Aslett • Jeanne Oliver • Teresa Collins
Junelle Jacobson • Tamara Laporte • Alisa Burke
Chrissy Gardner • Amy Tan • Christy Tomlinson

You can enroll in class right here below. See you in class!

2013 Artsy Ornaments of Christmas Workshop
$24.95

The Twelve Artsy Ornaments of Christmas :: Enrollment is Open!

I'm very excited and honored to be one of the twelve teachers who will be teaching for this year's
The Twelve Artsy Ornaments of Christmas hosted by Christy Tomlinson!

This talented teacher line-up includes:

Julie Fie-Fan Balzer • Jenny Doh • Maggie Holmes
Margie Romney-Aslett • Jeanne Oliver • Teresa Collins
Junelle Jacobson • Tamara Laporte • Alisa Burke
Chrissy Gardner • Amy Tan • Christy Tomlinson

Here are some answers to questions that you may have about this fantastic class! :)

Q: When does it begin?
A: This is an online workshop that begins Tuesday November 19th.

Q: What is it?
A: This is an online workshop that starts on a Tuesday and eneds on a Saturday. Each day, three new ornaments/holiday projects will be posted by three of the 12 teachers. There will be all sorts of fun projects including holiday decor, gifts, and ornaments.

Q: How does it work?
A: The workshop will be hosted on a private website and all instruction will be in video form and include up-close pictures of each project and supply lists and PDFs where needed. Supply lists are ONLY available in the workshop, once the workshop begins. We will have a private facebook group page for those in the workshop as well, to share photos, and to get to know each other better. We will also have Instagram and Twitter hashtags that students can use to share their work as well.

Q: Is there something super duper IMPORTANT about registration that you need me to acknowledge?
A: Yes! When you sign up, you will receive a confirmation email FROM Paypal that states you have paid for the class.  THIS WILL BE YOUR ONLY receipt of confirmation UNTIL the day workshop begins.

Q: And then what happens?
A: After that, a welcome email and an email containing your password and log-in will be sent to you around 10:00 AM (MST) on the day that the class begins: November 19th. You can use that info on November 19th to begin class.

Q: Why don't I get supply lists ahead of time? 
A: A lot of times, a project can be made with different types of materials ... usually things you have on hand. If you were to go purchase all of the things on the supply list, you may end up spending a lot of money befor the workshop but we encourage you to WATCH the videos first and then decide which supplies you want to try, and which ones can be substituted for something you already have on hand.

Q: How long do I have access to the class?
A: Great news! You will have access to all the content for this workshop for an ENTIRE year! You can access the content nighr or day, from any computer for a year. This class is NOT live, so you won't miss a thing if you can't be right there when it starts. You can watch and create at your own pace.

Q: How much does it cost?
A: To enroll in this workshop, it costs $24.95.

Q: Is there an early bird special?
A: Not this year. Last year there was one but this year, it's just $24.95.

Q: OK. I'm ready. What do I do?
A: Click below and enroll! See ya in class. :)

2013 Artsy Ornaments of Christmas Workshop
$24.95

You're Invited to Art Walk Studio, December 7th in Studio CRESCENDOh!

YOU ARE INVITED!
To the next art walk studio open house in Studio CRESCENDOh
Saturday, December 7th from 5:00 to 10:00 PM

• Pam Garrison and I will be doing live painting demonstrations and have some of our original paintings available for sale.
• Amy Hanna will have her exquisite original art jewelry pieces available for sale.
• We will also have special live entertainment brought to you by some very talented students from Orange County School of the Arts.

Just in time for the holidays ... art, ambiance, sweet treats, and friendship.

This is a FREE event and everyone is welcome. No RSVP is needed but please know that parking gets to be a challenge during art walks so please plan accordingly. There are many wonderful restaurants in the artist village area including Chapter One, Memphis Grill, Gypsy Den, Lola Gaspar, Little Sparrow ... all within walking distance to Studio CRESCENDOh. A great night to bring the whole family out and soak in all the artistic goodness.

Here's a photo of me with Pam and Amy from several years ago ... my goodness ... how fast time flies and how deep our passion for art has grown within that time.

 

Paint Paper Print :: 2-Day Workshop with Julie Fei-Fan Balzer

I'm excited to announce that Julie Fei-Fan Balzer will be returning to Studio CRESCENDOh to teach a very cool new class titled Paint Paper Print: A Mixed Media Collage Exploration.

It's a 2-day workshop that will happen January 18-19 and enrollment is open right here.

If you've ever wanted to learn how to make your own colorful papers with unique patterns, you won't want to miss this fun workshop where Julie will share her tips and techniques on layering, mixing colors, creating a focal point, and so much more.

Julie's workshops are full of energy and students have heaps of fun creating and learning to enjoy the process in the unique way that Julie teaches.
Hope to see you in the studio as we start the new year off right with paint, paper, and print.

Enrollment is open here.

Announcing :: Behind the Faces Workshop with Pam Carriker!

Hi everyone. I'm super excited to announce a brand new workshop in Studio CRESCENDOh with the talented Pam Carriker! It's titled Behind the Faces Art Journal and it will take place Saturday, January 11, 2014.

The class will begin with Pam teaching how to make faces with her face map stencils and then transform them into a journal. Super duper fun.

Enrollment is open right here.

See you in the studio. :)

Announcing :: Paint, Color & Figure-Doodling with Jennifer Mercede

I'm super excited to announce that Jennifer Mercede will return to Studio CRESCENDOh this summer on July 20-21 to teach a 2-day workshop titled:

Paint, Color & Figure-Doodling

This workshop is a continuation of Jennifer's debut workshop from last year where she taught students in our studio her signature methods of doodling and painting.

This time around, there will be a new component added to the workshop where students will spend 3 hours working with a nude model, including an exploration of blind contour model doodling, followed with painting.


Space is limited.
For those who missed out on Jennifer's workshop last summer, I'm happy that this new opportunity may be here for you at just the right time.

Enrollment is OPEN NOW and you can enroll here.

See you in the studio. :)