In the midst of getting set up here in Nashville we have loved, loved, loved walking all over our new neighborhood to groceries, coffee, dinner, the park, bike paths, flower shop and more. We are so happy to be here! I wanted to share some of what I have been reading, listening to, learning etc. during this past month of boxes and papers!

I would love it so much if you comment on this post and share the same that you are reading, listening to, watching etc. I love hearing what is inspiring YOU!

-Jeanne

Disclosure of Material Connection: Some or all of the links in this post are affiliate links.  This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, we will receive an affiliate commission and we are disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.  And as always, we only share the links to products that we actually use and love.

Get 40% off ALL of our August featured courses! This month we are featuring courses dedicated to bookmaking!  You can choose one or you can use the discount on all of them!

Use Code: SEPTEMBER

In this comprehensive online course, professional printmaker Francesco Geronazzo guides you through every stage of the traditional line etching process, from preparing and drawing on a metal plate to acid biting, inking, and printing your final edition. Combining centuries-old techniques with practical studio knowledge, this course is designed to give you the confidence to create professional-quality etchings in your own studio.

Whether you’re a complete beginner or an experienced artist looking to expand your printmaking practice, you’ll develop a solid understanding of the materials, tools, and techniques that make line etching one of the most expressive forms of printmaking.

Early registration is open for Line Etching Masterclass with Francesco Geranazzo. Early registration is $52 (and will go to $98 on September 25, 2026) and begins on October 23rd @ 5am MT. The course has 4 hours of content. Come and read all about it. All videos are downloadable, lifetime access* and closed captioned.

In this course you will learn

• The history and principles of line etching
• Essential tools, materials, and studio safety
• How to prepare and polish an etching plate
• Applying and working with hard ground
• Transferring and drawing your image onto the plate
• Safe and effective acid biting techniques
• Cleaning, correcting, and refining your plate
• Professional inking and wiping methods
• Printing on an etching press
• Evaluating, signing, and editioning your prints

Techniques Taught

• Materials needed for a Traditional etching session
• Considerations about what design to use
• Preparation of the metal plate
• Coating of the printing plate
• How to transfer any design on your printing plate
• Mark making test
• Etching your plate with different tools
• Preparing the plate for the etching bath
• Preparing the etching solution
• Etching bath process
• Cleaning the plate
• Improving the plate with a second state
• Preparation of the cotton paper for the printing session
• Proofing the plate relief/intaglio
• Considerations and references

Early registration is open for Line Etching Masterclass with Francesco Geranazzo. Early registration is $52 (and will go to $98 on September 25, 2026) and begins on October 23rd @ 5am MT. The course has 4 hours of content. Come and read all about it. All videos are downloadable, lifetime access* and closed captioned.

If this is your first course with us or you are a longtime member we want to share how easy it is to find out more, register, see the supply list and share with your friends.

1. Come and read all about the new course HERE.
2. If you think your friends would love this course we would be beyond honored to have you share the promo video. We have included all of the social media links under the video to make it easy. You can also directly share the course page. You do not have to be a member of this site to see what we have to offer!
3. We also have over 120 other courses and to see what we are offering you can go directly to jeanneoliver.com and then click on courses.
4. All of our courses are pre-recorded so you can watch them at your convenience. The best part is that you have lifetime* access.
5. If you have any questions about the course please contact support here.

*As long as we manage the creative network

Registration open for First Layers | Oil Pastels with Hallie Kohn. Registration is $98 and begins on September 25th @ 5am MT. The course has 4 hours of content. Come and read all about it. All videos are downloadable, lifetime access* and closed captioned.

Registration open for First Layers | Oil Pastels with Hallie Kohn. Registration is $98 and begins on September 25th @ 5am MT. The course has 4 hours of content. Come and read all about it. All videos are downloadable, lifetime access* and closed captioned.

Techniques Taught

• Exploring paper options
• Oil pastel brands and their differences
• Mark making techniques
• Layering and exploring
• Protecting your oil pastel paintings
• Exploring everyday objects

Come and Watch The Course Trailer

Registration open for First Layers | Oil Pastels with Hallie Kohn. Registration is $98 and begins on September 25th @ 5am MT. The course has 4 hours of content. Come and read all about it. All videos are downloadable, lifetime access* and closed captioned.

If this is your first course with us or you are a longtime member we want to share how easy it is to find out more, register, see the supply list and share with your friends.

1. Come and read all about the new course HERE.
2. If you think your friends would love this course we would be beyond honored to have you share the promo video. We have included all of the social media links under the video to make it easy. You can also directly share the course page. You do not have to be a member of this site to see what we have to offer!
3. We also have over 120 other courses and to see what we are offering you can go directly to jeanneoliver.com and then click on courses.
4. All of our courses are pre-recorded so you can watch them at your convenience. The best part is that you have lifetime* access.
5. If you have any questions about the course please contact support here.

*As long as we manage the creative network

Sometimes I find it while shopping in a tiny market and instantly missing my apple tree from Colorado, kissing Kelly goodbye as he rides his bike for a quick visit to see his brother, hearing my Grandpa Loran’s voice for the first time in my life because my brother figured out the old tape, working with our daughter and getting to watch how her beautiful mind works, and seeing how our things from Colorado are fitting right in here in Nashville.

Sometimes I even find it online within this vast and beautiful creative community

-Jeanne

Joan’s writing seems more like poetry to me than other forms of creative writing. I find myself underlining, writing notes, observing her writing style and being engrossed by all aspects of how she chose to tell a story. Whether she is writing about her own creative process, a political work, a novel or grief…I go away feeling like she didn’t use any extra words. Her natural style is honed and intentional.

“Joan Didion was a journalist, novelist, memoirist, essayist, and screenwriter who wrote some of the sharpest and most evocative analyses of culture, politics, literature, family, and loss. She won the National Book Award in 2005 for The Year of Magical Thinking.” – Joan Didion Official Website

Registration open for First Layers | Oil Pastels with Hallie Kohn. Registration is $98 and begins on September 25th @ 5am MT. The course has 4 hours of content. Come and read all about it. All videos are downloadable, lifetime access* and closed captioned.

Registration open for First Layers | Oil Pastels with Hallie Kohn. Registration is $98 and begins on September 25th @ 5am MT. The course has 4 hours of content. Come and read all about it. All videos are downloadable, lifetime access* and closed captioned.

Techniques Taught

• Exploring paper options
• Oil pastel brands and their differences
• Mark making techniques
• Layering and exploring
• Protecting your oil pastel paintings
• Exploring everyday objects

Come and Watch The Course Trailer

Registration open for First Layers | Oil Pastels with Hallie Kohn. Registration is $98 and begins on September 25th @ 5am MT. The course has 4 hours of content. Come and read all about it. All videos are downloadable, lifetime access* and closed captioned.

If this is your first course with us or you are a longtime member we want to share how easy it is to find out more, register, see the supply list and share with your friends.

1. Come and read all about the new course HERE.
2. If you think your friends would love this course we would be beyond honored to have you share the promo video. We have included all of the social media links under the video to make it easy. You can also directly share the course page. You do not have to be a member of this site to see what we have to offer!
3. We also have over 120 other courses and to see what we are offering you can go directly to jeanneoliver.com and then click on courses.
4. All of our courses are pre-recorded so you can watch them at your convenience. The best part is that you have lifetime* access.
5. If you have any questions about the course please contact support here.

*As long as we manage the creative network

I am constantly in awe of the beauty that is all around me if I have my eyes open to it.

Sometimes I find it in watching fireflies flickering as the sun goes down, the magic that a night sky brings with thunder and flashing lighting, the coolness of a heavy rain, the sounds of a summer night in the south and the smells of summer that brings me back to my childhood in Illinois.

Sometimes I even find it online within this vast and beautiful creative community

-Jeanne

By the time we get into our new home we will have been out of our own space and without our own things for over four months. It sure shows you what you miss and what you can live without. I am very much missing my studio space and all of my supplies and tools. Creating will be the first thing I do after emptying the pods.

During our temporary rental in my friend Brooke’s beautiful home I wanted to share some of what has inspired me. Brooke’s space has been a cocoon like environment, not only for us but also our children when they come to watch movies, play games or  gather for dinner. These past weeks in Nashville have been the sweetest (and hottest:-)) entry into our new life.

I would love it so much if you comment on this post and share the same that you are reading, listening to, watching etc. I love hearing what is inspiring YOU!

-Jeanne

Disclosure of Material Connection: Some or all of the links in this post are affiliate links.  This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, we will receive an affiliate commission and we are disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.  And as always, we only share the links to products that we actually use and love.

We are coming back next May with Uptrek again to offer our Sculpture + Printmaking retreat that will be in the countryside and Florence. This last workshop was so much fun that we had to do it again.

This past May, our Sculpture + Printmaking Retreat in Florence and the Italian countryside was everything I had hoped it would be and more. We spent our days creating, exploring Florence and one of my favorite museums in the world, learning from master printmakers, gathering around incredible meals, and making lifelong memories together.

After such an unforgettable experience, Uptrek invited us to bring this custom retreat back for 2027. We’ve even added a few new experiences that I’m so excited to share.

This will be the only overseas art retreat I’ll be hosting in 2027, and I would absolutely love for you to join us.

If you’ve ever dreamed of making art in Italy, wandering historic streets with a sketchbook in hand, learning new techniques, and sharing the experience with a wonderful community of artists, this is for you.

Registration opens next week for everyone on the First to Know List.

If you’d like all the details and the opportunity to register before the public, be sure to join the list today. I can’t wait to share this adventure with you.

-Jeanne

Registration to the first to know list will open soon! Get on the list!

Be the first to know when registration opens for the 2027 live workshop in Florence and the countryside.

Our home for the week will be in the countryside with beautiful excursions that enrich the studio days.

There will be a day in Florence to learn etching from master print makers at the Il Bisonte and also study the work of Merino Merini. We will travel to Arezzo for their flea market that spills from the piazza into the streets throughout the whole town. We will have true studio days in our private villa where you will use the lines and shapes you have gathered to create works of art and a sculpture study. You will truly learn the art of seeing!

Join the first to know list!