A Big Birthday!

and last chance for Holiday zoom class this Sunday

Dear Everyone,

Our fun Holiday Zoom Class is this Sunday Dec 15th 1-3 EST Details below.

I know birthdays are a yearly event, so what’s the surprise? This one is! I turn 65 (next week). Whoa, These “big” ages feel scary and impossible, but I’m also filled with possibility. My big dreams for this year and ahead are to let go and do what I want, with no judgments. I want to play, be free and open. Create work that is empowering to me. I want to pour paint on junky paper and make blobs, mush the colors together to see what happens. Maybe they will end up in my landscape series, but maybe not.

There is no way to know the future, so I plan to let go of my restraints. (My head gets in the way often). What I make might be wonky or ugly, weird, crazy, unexpected, colorful, plain, different, delicate, powerful, abstract, or representational, and maybe beautiful. I can try to paint my selfies at a giant scale or flowers miniscule; it doesn’t matter if it’s the thing that pours out of me. I want to embroider and sew, maybe build something out of clay, paint on the bark of a tree, decorate my clothes, draw on weird surfaces, and make things I can use. Try something new. I want to smile more and bring out my inner child.

I started today. I bought a roll of cheap paper, poured paint on and started making marks and faces and flowers. It would be cool if I do yards and yards of this.

I want to be a creator first. Whatever happens will happen. I suppose when I’m eighty, I’ll think sixty-five was young, and I should have started, so now is the time.

Last month, I was diagnosed with celiac disease. I need learn to incorporate some new eating habits, and I’ll pursue it as another challenge. But it’s a big giant pain, another thing I need to deal with that will take up a lot of headspace, at least while I’m navigating how to approach it all. My years of migraines could be associated with this, so that could explain a lot. I will see as I heal my body. Especially as a traveler, In 2025 alone, I’ll be in Mexico, Morocco, and Greece.

Anyone with any advice for me on celiac I’d love to chat. Email me!

Our third Holiday Zoom is this Sunday! Dec 3 1-3 EST. This class is about creating some fun, holiday-themed art. We will each paint something festive and wintery: animals, presents, and a scene of festive tiny people. We work hard to come up with exactly what we want to paint, and we will share the trial and error after we complete the demos so you can see the whole process. This class will also include a short demo on using gouache, and a simple color-mixing lesson. As always, it’s a donation-only class, and a portion of our profits go to our local food banks for the holidays. We do recommend a minimum of $20 for the class, but please pay what you can afford.

Bring the kids and grandkids!

Gather some blank cards and envelopes, or just paint/draw on paper - anything is fine. Our supply list and reference will be sent. We paint with acrylagouache, but you can paint or draw with anything you have on hand. Everyone will receive the replay within a week of the class.

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Gayle Kabaker

was interviewed about our class on New England Public Radio! It comes out Friday night. I’ll send a link to it if you want to listen on Saturday morning.

We still have 3 spots left in our Greece Retreat next Fall 2025. 2 are single rooms and 1 is a shared room. It will be a special week! Click link for details and feel free to ask me any questions.

Hope to see many of you on Sunday,

Happy Holidays,

xxJennifer