One Painting with All Your Ski Memories

Watercolor painting of a family skiing together down the slopes in Steamboat Springs, Colorado

One of the best things about being an artist is taking ideas that only exist in someone’s imagination and turning them into a work of art. One blank sheet of paper in which I get to paint all the memories–it’s a challenge, but I love it. I’ve been asked to paint ideas from family vacations […]

Spiritual Conversations

Downtown Exeter in Summer 15 x 30 original watercolor by Jonalyn

Before I was an artist, I was an author and speaker with a focus on sexuality and spiritual conversations. And while I’m not traveling and speaking anymore, I still have spiritual conversations with my friends and family. My First Books Those of you who came to my art show know I used to write books […]

Find the Good, Avoid the Bad Artists

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In every place on this earth, we can find the wolves. What makes an artist good and how do you spot the bad artists? How to Avoid the Wolves You can spot a bad artist by these tell-tales (not just in art, but in life) copy-cats of the most famous painters (you can easily google […]

Reading the COVID Stories

Dozens of handwritten stories collected during Jonalyn's COVID art show,

My favorite part of my art show “Saving Lives” was reading the stories my visitors left for me. When you paint an exhibition helping people explore and remember the lockdown years, listening become such an important part of the gallery. I’m poring over these stories these days. The End of the Show Friends have asked […]

How Do Artists Do That?

Watercolor painting of a yellow house in New England sitting over water.

“How do artists do that?”  They transform a blank sheet of paper into a scene that stops you in your tracks. They create a portrait that isn’t just the photographic replica of the person, but captures their soul.  These alchemists with paint, how do they do it?  I believe it’s more than technical skill. It […]

Who Would Visit My COVID Art Show?

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My show “Saving Lives” has been open for one week now and I’m meeting many people who want to visit my COVID art show. “Saving Lives” tells the untold stories from the years of lockdowns and masking that many of us, frankly, would just like to forget forever. And yet, my show also tells the […]

Watercolor Art Auction on Fridays

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There’s something amazing about a watercolor art auction, it reveals and condenses. But first let me tell you about trendiness and the way it works in art purchases. I’m surprised at how easy it is for a smooth sales guy or gal to talk someone out of what they like. Quietly, I watch it at […]

The Final Post on Friendship

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I have been criss-crossing the state of New Hampshire to hang my paintings in new shops and galleries. This is a good problem, but the downside is that I have little time to write. This means that this month will be my last formal installment of friendship posts. Come June, I will still write updates, […]

When God Paces You

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Last time, I wrote about how God opens up places of uniqueness, peace, and freedom. I want to talk more about each of these. These tell-tale marks of God’s Spirit. The Bible calls these fruits of the Spirit, evidence that this person has walked through seasons with God as their pace car. For the full […]

Perfectionism and Art

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You know, Hitler wanted to be an artist . . . It was easier for Hitler to start World War II than it was for him to face a blank square of canvas. — The War of Art,  Steven Pressfield All journeys of consequence begin with small steps. Creative work means fighting what Steven Pressfield calls […]