KJ's Art Brew ✷ Issue #1 // Current Happenings, Fall Pop Ups + More

✷ Welcome To The 1st (Official) Issue

Issue #1 ⚘ Oct 17, 2023

I’ve been trying to figure out the best way to stay connected with people that’s not heavily relying on all the social media’s algorithms. I’ve found myself too easily distracted by them lately so I’ve been taking little breaks from it and reclaiming my time for more meaningful things. That got me thinking about good ol’ fashion emails and blogs… it’s not the type to scream for your attention in a sea of content, rather it’s a warm letter written by your friend - excited to be read whenever you’re ready. So grab a cup of whatever you’re drinking and let’s cheers to making our own little space on the internet!

I decided to start up a proper email newsletter called KJ’s Art Brew (formerly known as the Infrequent Newsletter). I felt it needed a name change since I’m refreshing the intent of it… You can expect to see my art, behind the scene of what I’m working on, new shop items, current artistic inspirations… basically a brew of my animation/illustration/printmaking life. If you’re interested in hearing it first and receiving exclusive deals on my shop then please subscribe to my Newsletter!

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✷ Current Happenings

I’m writing to you from my little studio here in the outskirts of Atlanta. There’s a little crisp in the air and I’m so pumped. We moved into our new place back in July and I can’t tell you how much of a game-changer it is not having your computer in the same room where you sleep. I’m very thankful to God for our new living quarters and having my own space to create in.

Recently I’ve been working as a freelance Storyboard Artist on some short term projects at Primal Screen. I always love working with them and seeing the animation come together from the boards I draw. I’ll be wrapping up on these projects soon and then I’ll be off to the next project that comes my way (Ahhh, the sweet and unpredictable life of a freelance artist). This is part of the reason why I started doing artist markets: I really wanted to design my own products, have a way to make some extra money outside of freelancing for other companies/people, and I wanted to have ownership of my work and share it with people in a tangible way.

I will say, there’s a different kind of “artistic high“ that happens when in real time you watch someone resonate with your work and buy it. It reminds me of the feeling I got when my student film was screened in a big theater and I could hear people laugh in real time to my work… or the first time I saw my name in the credits on my first storyboard job “Let’s Go Luna“. There’s something about putting work in for months (or even years) and finally experiencing the pay off. It’s such a rewarding experience.

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✷ Upcoming Pop Ups

If you happen to live in the Metro Atlanta area, I would love to invite you to one of my following Fall Pop Ups:

✷ Ecologie Vintage The Lucky 13 Market / Sun Oct 22 from 12-6PM / Town Center Mall (outside in the parking lot) in Kennesaw. This market is super fun, they have lots of vintage vendors, food trucks and a live band.

✷ Spiller Park’s Hoolieween Market / Sun Oct 29 from 10AM - 3PM / Toco Hills Shopping Center in Atlanta. This will be my first coffee shop pop up, which is fitting because a lot of my products revolve around coffee or mugs.

✷ Marietta Artisan Market / Sat Nov 18 from 9AM - 1PM /Mill St. Marietta (right next to the Farmer’s Market) at the Marietta Square. This market is a staple in the area with lots of things within walking distance, definitely a great place to have a slow Saturday morning.

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➡ Things To Come

I’ve been busy restocking items for my markets and printing on some more long sleeves and jackets to get ready for the cooler weather. Here’s some of the shirts I’ve printed my Breakfast Dance design on:

I’ve also been chipping away on a new design “Peaches + Cream“

You can expect to see these designs in person at my fall markets and on my online shop soon. I’ll be opening up preorders for them in early November so keep an eye out for that. Preorders will get an early bird special price and after that they’ll go up… so if you’re already starting to plan for your holiday shopping then you won’t want to miss this!

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✷ Current Inspirations

I’ve been listening to a lot of directors lately and their approach to storytelling. Here’s a few things I’ve been chewing on:

✷ Robert Rodriguez 10 Minute Film School - I just learned about him and even though this is an older clip, I’ve been really inspired by his mentality and creating your own lane. Don’t wait for permission, just go create with what you have now.

✷ Studio Binder Youtube Channel - I’ve been loving this library of videos and learning about different aspects of film. If you’re interested in this type of content, I definitely recommend.

✷ David Lynch on Writing a Script - I came across this clip and this approach inspired me to practice boarding on index cards. Sometimes I get caught up in the bells and whistles when I’m storyboarding on the computer and I crave a more tactile approach. Here’s a few shots I jotted down recently:

I came up with these characters for a shirt design but then I just kept seeing them in different scenarios out in yeehaw land somewhere… I have no proper story for them yet but maybe one will unfold someday, I just gotta keep drawing.

Until next time,

♡ Kathy Jo

If you’d like to further support my work, please feel free to forward this to someone who might enjoy it or receive the upcoming issues first by subscribing to this Newsletter!