I'm an artist, surface pattern + fabric designer, author, mama, and online teacher in Portland, OR. I believe in the power of art-making as a tool for radical self-care. I help people feel a little bit brighter and a little bit less alone through the art and products I make, the words I write, and the classes I teach. Come join 18k+ people in my colorful, uplifting world!
Spend more time making stuff (it's good for you!)
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Hi Reader, Happy Tuesday! How are you? Things here are full and busy, with work stuff and life stuff and kid stuff and all the things. I wrapped up Pattern Camp this past weekend (it was so fun!), the Variety Show with my friend Sarah the week before that, and next week I'm headed to St. Helens, OR to teach at my friend Carrie Schmitt's Art Is Love retreat. And this week I have some awesome new free events that I was invited to teach in that I get to start telling you about. So many good things happening! So much goodness to share. The world is kinda kooky right now, and it can feel really stressful to think about. What I know is that art-making offers a reprieve and a space to get quiet, to calm down your nervous system, and to allow yourself to feel good and have fun in spite of it all. I honestly believe that spending time being creative is more important now than ever. So I'm excited to have some cool upcoming events and things to invite you to, to hopefully inspire you to spend more time making stuff! It's also my favorite time of year here in Portland, and what I actually want to do is ignore all my responsibilities and just lay in the sunshine and spend all my time working in the garden and going to the plant nursery to buy new plants for my front yard. Playing in the dirt is also very good for you, just like making art is! I fully support some light responsibility-ignoring in favor of doing things that make you feel good in the springtime. Just sayin. ;) What I want to tell you about today is Mastering Mixed Media, a brand new online event created by the lovely Tamara Laporte. Tam is one of those people who I first met on the internet aaaaaages ago, and I don't remember how or where, but we've reconnected this past year and I'm so happy she invited me to be a part of her new event! Mastering Mixed Media features 35+ incredible mixed media artists teaching a bunch of different skills. During this two-week event, you'll gain access to a wide variety of mixed media workshops, where artists (like me!) are sharing their favorite techniques, supplies, and creative inspiration. The best part is that it’s completely free to attend! This is an excellent opportunity to explore new styles, play with different materials, and connect with a huge, vibrant art community. The event dates are May 1-14, 2025. In the Mastering Mixed Media - Expo 2025 you'll:
VIP Access Includes:
The VIP price will increase to £99 after the live event ends! You can signup for free and then upgrade to the VIP package later if you want to, or you can purchase it now to get the best price and forever-access to the workshops.
The photo at the top is a peek at what you'll get to watch me create during my workshop. I hope you'll come join me! It's going to be an awesome 2 weeks filled with lots of learning, fun, and inspiration. :) That's all for today, my friends! I hope you have a really wonderful day. Sending love and color! LET'S BE FRIENDS ON IG!
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Jessica Swift.
I'm an artist, surface pattern + fabric designer, author, mama, and online teacher in Portland, OR. I believe in the power of art-making as a tool for radical self-care. I help people feel a little bit brighter and a little bit less alone through the art and products I make, the words I write, and the classes I teach. Come join 18k+ people in my colorful, uplifting world!
Hi Reader! I'm so excited to share that the next session of Pattern Camp is coming up next weekend, April 12-13th, and registration is now officially open! 🎉 Not only is registration open, but there's a special $247 earlybird registration price today and tomorrow. Yeehaw! The price will increase to $347 on Saturday, April 5th. Get all the course details right here! I fell in love with Adobe Illustrator nearly 2 decades ago, and it's my absolute favorite design program. Faaaaaavorite! I've...
Hi Reader, It's Spring Break for my kids this week, and we're staying put in Portland this year since we're going on a big adventure to England this summer (my little family of three's first international trip!). which means I'm doing the ultimate juggling act right now, trying to work with 2 kids here 24/7 and also make time for fun stuff so they're not just sitting around in front of screens. Basically I'm bouncing between things like zoom meetings to going to the pool to hosting live...
Hi Reader, Last week I told you about a super special collaboration I've been working on with my friend Sarah Watts, and today I'm excited to share that registration is OPEN for The Variety Show: Surface Pattern Design Edition! The Variety Show is a weeklong workshop – coming up March 31st–April 4th – all about surface pattern design. Sarah and I are hosting it together, and we’ll be joined by a couple of very amazing special guests — artists Jen Hewett and Peggy Dean. Yes! And, we’ll have...