What are "Praise HeArt Open Studio Sessions"?
Praise HeArt Open Studio sessions are for Women. They are on Sat mornings, from 8am- 10:00 am.  This is a time to steal away, in the early morning, to creatively journal you HeART.
Rediscover Your Creativity!
If you ask a kindergarten class how many of them are artists, they'll all raise their hands with great excitement. Ask the same question of 6th graders, and maybe one third will respond, hesitantly.   Ask a high school student, and few will admit to it.   Ask an adult,  and they will admit to having absolutely no artistic ability. 
What happens to us growing up? We begin to fear criticism, and tend to keep our creativity to ourselves. We begin to look for the results and forget that creativity is a process.  Many people keep journals, of writing or sketching, but not many share them with people.   You will not be judged here. And you will have company. This is for you. For everyone.
I always hear, "I cant do that- I draw stick people", or "I dont have an artistic bone in my body!" We are all created through a creative wondeful God and we are made in His image- so you were created to be creative!! It's in there! Through PraiseARt and the HeART Journal, you will follow prompts that take you through- step by step- until you have a number of techniques under your belt and you can fly solo. There are monthly challenges that you can work on, that you can utilize all of the techniques that you learn through classes or the Open Studio Session. Start saying today, "I can do this, I am creative!!" If you can color you can do PrasieARt.........
A safe place to experience a creative playground of various mediums, to please the Father.  If you can color, you can keep a visual journal!  If you can use stamps, and cut.....you can utilize a HeART Journal! 


What is a HeART Journal?

We are all created through a creative wondeful God and we are made in His image- so you were created to be creative!! It's in there! Through PraiseARt and the HeART Journal, you will follow prompts that take you through- step by step- until you have a number of techniques under your belt and you can fly solo. There are monthly challenges that you can work on, that you can utilize all of the techniques that you learn through classes or the Open Studio Session. Start saying today, "I can do this, I am creative!!" If you can color you can do PrasieARt.........
"Ok, I am thinking about it, but what can I expect during and Open Studio Session?"
I could make a banner, any banner in the world, it would be:
"NO ARTISTIC TALENT NECESSARY!!!"

THe way the Studio is set up, the creative prompts are organized by your visit. Check in the folders and pull out a sheet for whatever visit you are on - ie, first visit to the Studio, second visit to the Studio, etc.....
The page will tell you what supplies you are going to need to work on your journal for the next few hours. Gather your supplies and bring them to your desk.
Follow the guidelines that are laid out for you. An example perhaps?? Your first visit you will do (if you want to - you are always free to just come in and journal whatever is going on in your heart - the prompts are to help you , NOT bind you to the system!!!) an exercise on claiming your journal and defining your soul armor.

The instructions read something like this:

Supplies needed:
Sharpie Markers
Gesso
Paint- tempera would be best
ink rendering, of your choosing, of feminine Knight
Paintbrushes
water
Foam Paintbrush

(All of these supplies are available in the Studio and are at your disposal)

Step One:
On an open page - write down (with the Sharpie markers) what you would like to discover on your visual journal process. What are you hoping to find? What are you hoping to discover? What have you lost? What wound needs healing in your heart? Be transparent!!! WE will cover these words over with a thick pasty substance called Gesso. Noone will see your words, but your heart cries out them and the Lod hears them!! Write it ALL down.......

Step Two:
Doesnt that feel good?? To cry out to the Lord the desires and moanings of our hearts?? Take your Gesso now and a foam paintbrush and cover the words. you may want some of the words to show through a bit. be intentional about which words you cover completely and which ones you leave a breath of visibility too......the lesson goes on to include the soul armor.

WEll, that is an example. Step by step,,,you follow your "Studio Sheet", you can take it in another direction of the Lord leads you - or you can stay on track with the promptings as they are laid out- see it is ALL UP TO YOU!!!!

Bottom line:
Open Studio Sessions = Creative fun that expresses your heart!
"What do I need to participate in an "Open Studio Session?"

In order to participate in the PraiseART open sessions, you will need a visual journal. You may purchase an 81/2 x 11 hardbound (no spiral notebooks!!) journal- with a black cover. These are 8.00 to around 15.00

Moleskine is a great journal that has a nice thick page- with a great tooth. Hobby Lobby always runs coupons, check them out online for their current coupon- you may get 40% off!! AC Morre usually always has a coupon as well!

My favorite places to buy journals are:
Hobby Lobby
AC Moore
Books A Million ( Moleskine)

In addition, I have old books (with printing on them) for you. I am asking for a donation of 1.00 per book. You will create right on top of the words in these books, gesso'ing them white, and allowing the print to show through for texture.

You must come to the open sessions with your own, purchased journal - or be prepared to work out on of the old books (these are called altered books!)

"This Doesn't look GOOD, I don't want to do this anymore!!"
I think we have to get out of our head that we are doing this for "us" or that we are doing this for a finished piece of artwork. We are coming to His table looking to please OUR aesthetic eye, not capture a glimpse of His heart.
David taught us to make a joyful noise, to dance in the streets with abandon, to appear undignified, to capture a piece, a glimmer of the profound love that Abba Father showers down on us.
Come to the canvas to meet Jesus. Come to your journal to worship him, not yourself, not what you can or can not do. Put all expectation aside and meet the lover of your soul. Let Him guide your hand and your heart.
WHo CaRES wHat iT lo0ks LIike? If all goes according to plan, you have had an encounter with the King of Kings and His heart has been revealed to you. Through your artwork, you have caught a sparkle of the love that surrounds you. You danced with the King of Kings - WHO CARES what your paper looks like?? How did it feel to feel His love? How did it feel to be in perfect symphonic grace with His movements? How didit feel to experience salvation, love, mercy and grace surround you?

Concentrate on the experience. concentrate on pleasing your Father. Concentrate on Him, not on YOU, not on YOUR paper. Look for the redemption and PRAISE the LORD in your experience called "Artwork".

There is an online calendar that is a "real time" calendar- it shows the entire PraiseARt calendar.  If there are openings, then you can "Claim" these spots.  Email me your requested dates and I will get them into the calendar right away!  Come play!!
"What should I be thinking about during my session?"
Quiet your mind and open your heart. Listen to the music and turn the "voice" off inside your head. Dialogue with the Lord. Think about the colors and the images that He is planting in your heart and ask Him to help you bring out HIS HEART on your paper!
He will, so think about Him and think about drawing closer to Him in intimacy!

"But, I am not a good artist!!"
None of us are!!! Open your heart to Christ and step into His paintbucket. Let His will guide your hands and your brush.

Your lack of faith, in yourself, actually gets in His way. Accept that none of us are ANYTHING without Christ in our hearts.

Get out of your own way, get out of His way and ...try. It is all He ever asks of us- try to love more, try to heal more, try to reach out more, try to create more.

Just try- and let go of expectation!

Women's Open Studio Sessions are $10.00 per session, payable at time of session!