Revisiting Paris photos from my studio in New York

I’ve been in the studio painting my trip to Paris every day for the last 2 weeks; I’m on a roll. It’s a process of learning to look back at my photos and choosing ones that inspire me in some way. In the moment, I usually don’t have time to frame the picture properly, to wait for any random car, bus, or person to leave. It’s not easy to look back through tons of not great photos and figure out how to recreate a scene as you want it to look. Working from home gives me the space to think. I got this lovely comment the other day, which says what I’m thinking.

On using a limited palette, I often choose anywhere from 3 to 6 colors that I love, plus black and white, and TRY! I don’t always know what the result will be, but I’m open to putting in the time to see. Here are a few examples of working out a few colors into a floral. My book, The Sketchbook Idea Generator, has many color combos to try.

I sometimes need to paint “on the spot.” When I’m teaching workshops, there isn’t the time to sit back and reflect. I have a short time before each demo to gather my thoughts, make color choices, and paint while explaining what I’m doing with 17 people watching. It can be stressful, but it also brings an exciting immediacy to the process. Sometimes mistakes are made, but this is a good lesson to learn. (For students and myself) This video is a selection of paintings done in Morocco; some are demos for class, and some are done later, back at home.

Morocc

There is a lot of drawing that happens before the painting, and this is part of my process and teaching. Adding drawing to the painting practice has been the best thing I’ve ever done for my skill in seeing.

Morocco Workshop

There are just a few openings left for our Morocco retreat (September 25–October 2, 2026), and they are the lovely single rooms, some of my favorite spaces in the whole Kasbah. Gayle Kabaker and I would love to meet you and spend the week together. There’s so much we want to share. The experience is awesome, the hosts are fabulous, there’s a hammam and massage area, a great yoga studio, delicious food, fun day trips, and cultural experiences. And of course, drawing and painting our days. This is why we are excited to be there for the 5th time that week!

Here is a post I wrote about the trip last year, You can see some of the amazing highlights of the week

Drawing My Way Through Morocco: A Visual Diary / Part 1

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June 10, 2025

I’ve never been a journaler. I always thought of journaling as writing, and writing isn’t something I naturally reach for. But drawing has always been an intrinsic part of me. When I tell the story of my path to now (At our workshops, Gayle Kabaker …

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If you can’t travel that far, join us for our next Zoom class in two weeks, on February 22nd, 1-3 EST. We will also be working on painting from travel photos and adding in some handwritten words. Samantha Dion Baker is our special guest in this class. She’s amazing, and you will love learning from her too. It’s a relaxed learning space. If you get a ticket, whether you can make it that day or not, you will receive the recording. We will discuss how we choose our subject, show you lots of examples, answer questions, and demo a full painting. All welcome!!

ZOOM

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Thanks for reading, I appreciate that you are all here!

xJennifer