To Grow and Discover

Teaching has reminded me that we are never, ever done learning.

Join us in Greece : October 8-15, 2025

This page is a practice using three colors plus white.

I’m all over the place deciding what I want to concentrate on, painting-wise. I find myself annoying that way, but I’m trying to combat it by doing a self-imposed assignment. When I got home from Italy last month after teaching for two weeks with

Gayle Kabaker

I realized I wanted to keep learning and digging deeper into the development part of my practice rather than dive directly into creating new finished paintings. There is always that drive to produce the finished thing that can be used for something, licensing, selling, or even just positive feedback on social media. I got inspired by our classes to push myself to slow down and explore. I want to be a student for a while; I may want to go on a retreat someday and explore new things.

More three colors plus white

In our workshops, we always start the week using a limited color palette to narrow choices and avoid overwhelm. My natural way to work is to use lots of paint and colors and have free-for-all. I’m good at mixing colors and having many on hand makes me happy. Alternatively, using only three or even four colors makes me squirm. To clarify, I do use a limited palette in my work, but when I need to do it spontaneously, I am uneasy, and it doesn’t feel good. I started a new research sketchbook to get over my discomfort. I’m having loads of fun slowing down, digging deep, playing, and getting the hang of something that makes me want to run away. It’s no surprise that practicing like this creates confidence and an ability to grow. We plan on adding this exercise to our workshops.

I used only purple and green in this painting.

I love having something incredible to look forward to, exciting and gorgeous venues and new people spark my creativity and my joy.

Until I started teaching workshops, I never planned vacations more than a few months in advance; now, I have a few travel plans on the horizon a year and a half out. Every single one has been an extraordinary experience, so memorable and unique. Traveling alone can change you, I’m bolder, more confident, and have a new sense of ease. Spending a week in Greece might be just the thing for you to tap into something new. We hear from all the students that they leave with something transformative that has helped them move forward. We are super excited to have a new trip planned to Zakynthos Greece!

Gayle and I have, throughout all the 12 classes we’ve taught together, developed an encouraging, creative curriculum that builds on itself lesson by lesson, with lots of illuminating, inspiring, and even meditative sessions incorporated. It works for beginners and more experienced painters and sets everyone up for a successful painting and sketchbook experience. Each day, we look, we see, we draw, we absorb our surroundings, we draw more, we photograph, we mix colors, we paint, and then we keep on painting. Every step of the way is fun. Our goal is to be delighted, inspired, and curious about the beauty of where we are. And these skills can be brought home for you to continue your journey.

One way we ensure that we get to know you is we have dinner set up with five tables of four, Gayle and I each take a table and ask everyone to rotate around us during the week so we get to have smaller, intimate conversations. Watching everyone gain confidence and lose the fear of making mistakes is SO rewarding. We offer daily yoga, delicious healthy food, inspiring scenery and day trips, new friendships, and tons of drawing and painting.

Check out the Greece workshop here.

I know this is a big commitment, so if you have questions, please feel free to write me or directly to Uptrek, who is our partner with logistics.

Just for fun, here is a life drawing I did while I was at RISD, It must have been in my spring semester sophomore year, 1979! The other I created earlier this year. I’ve done a lot of drawing and painting in the intervening years!

Other links:

Online Studio Sale : it’s still happening. I’m letting go of some work to make space for what’s to come.

Scarves

I always love to hear from you,

xxJennifer