Small Business Saturday

Consider the handmade, heart made, imagination made work of artists and crafters for unique gifts this holiday season. Ditch Black Friday and instead support local artisans and makers on #smallbusinesssaturday (that's tomorrow!!). 

I'm a small business- a one woman show, hand making art supply kits and creating unique fine art photographs to decorate your walls with. To celebrate Small Business Saturday, I'm offering one FINAL (and the biggest) sale of the year for you to #shopsmall and #shoplocal- SAVE 25% OFF EVERYTHING on my website. Spend $50 or more on art supplies or kits, custom prints, and/or all clearance items (ready-made prints, out of print books), and enter code: SHOPSMALL to save. Code is good from tonight through Sunday, and can not be combined with any other offer. 

Browse and SHOP HERE- https://gallery.blondeshotcreative.com

* Year End Clearance & Discounts *

All month long in November I'm offering special discounts and clearance deals on custom prints, in-stock prints, photo books, and art kits! Each week will be a different deal, and you'll be able to receive items in time for holiday gifting.

Thanks for supporting this small, handmade, local business this holiday season 

Week 1- Get 15% off all print orders (good until 11/10). Use promo code: PRINTHOLIDAY at checkout.

Week 2- In-stock prints and books are marked down to clearance prices to make room for new art (all month long). Those items can be found HERE.

Week 3- Get 10% off art kits and refills (excludes custom paintbrush kits, good 11/18-24). Use code: HOLIDAYKITS at checkout.

Week 4- Free shipping on all custom print orders (11/25-30 only). Choose local pick-up at checkout to avoid shipping fees, but we'll still ship your order directly to you!


Shop here- https://gallery.blondeshotcreative.com

NEW Art Kits added!

Two new art kit options are now available!

Limited Edition "Ocean Waves" Kit includes: 1 charcoal crayon, 1 swirled recycled crayon, 1 charcoal pigment, 1 colored earth pigment, 1 aqua liquid pigment, 1 container of mica, 1 muslin collection bag, 1 seashell*, 12 sheets of 3"x5" watercolor paper, and medium wood box. All containers and packaging in this kit is plastic-free!

*Shell is hand-picked from the SE coast and can be used as a paintbrush rest and/or a small pigment dish for mixing the powdered pigments with water in. Seashells vary from kit to kit.

+ 10% of the sales from these limited edition kits will be donated to help the fight for ocean (and ocean animal) conservation!

Kit Refill includes: 1 charcoal stick, 1 crayon (your choice of charcoal, or in-stock recycled color), 1 pigment (your choice of in-stock color or charcoal).

The refill is perfect for if you've previously purchased a kit, have run out of materials and need to restock it, OR if you purchase one of our smaller kits and want an add-on of additional colors.

Find my handmade art kits here- https://blondeshotcreative.shootproof.com/gallery/ArtKits/

Microcosm Compositions, part 7

Four new images were recently added to the series. Are you just now seeing it? Be sure to follow the BlondeShot Creative Facebook page for new releases, sales, and some other random things that don't get posted on here!

New Earth Art Classes - Fall/Winter 2019

I'm excited to announce my next session of Earth Art classes for homeschoolers! 

The Earth Art Fall/Winter 2019 Session theme is THE ART & SCIENCE OF SEA TURTLES. We'll focus on an intersection of art and science as we discuss how and when art and science may come together to support each other, and how this combination can be used for good. We'll focus on Georgia's sea turtles as our scientific subjects, and students will learn a bit about sea turtle biology, nesting behaviors, threats they face, and ways we can help them. We'll role-play as biologists in the field, and will get to use (simple) math and science to support our understanding of our subjects. After gaining an understanding and falling in love with these special creatures, we'll use our knowledge and sensibilities to inspire a final work of art. 

Registration is now open. Full details and registration can be found HERE. 

NOW Booking Holiday Sessions!

It's time to book your holiday portrait sessions!! Because I had so much fun making this set last year, I wanted to offer a special on similar sessions to YOU this year. Choose 2-6 people (or pets)* for your "Brady Bunch" style studio session, and choose your theme and attire. You can come to me, or I'll come with a complete set up to you! You'll get individual shots of each person (or pet), plus a collage of your top favorites in a series of 4, 6, 8, or 9 image blocks, ready to include in your holiday card or to print for your wall. This session is specially priced at $50 OFF for the 2019 season ONLY. Send me an email at blondeshotcreative(at)gmail.com for more details and to book your shoot date. Availability is limited and I'm currently booking select dates in September through early November only. 

*Additional subjects can be added for an additional charge.

Microcosm Compositions, part 6

Three new images have been added to the series. You can find the complete series and also purchase prints HERE, or check out a little behind the scenes info. on the images above on my Facebook page HERE. A third of all print sales from these images will be donated directly to the Caretta Research Project. 

Blue Marble Stew- Part 4

A few new images have been added to the series over the past couple of weeks...

Click HERE to view the entire series Blue Marble Stew.

Microcosm Compositions, part 5

Don't forget to take a look at my new website which includes the full Microcosm Compositions image gallery and lots more! Plus, you don't want to miss the website launch SALE happening now through June 20th, 2019. Save 15% off all print and canvas print purchases with code: LAUNCH15 and save 10% off a "middle" or "deluxe" art kit with code: ARTKITLAUNCH.

New Website Launch!!

It's WEBSITE LAUNCH DAY!! I've been working for months trying to get a new website up... It's kind of my least favorite part about being an artist, and after having my child some X number of years ago, I just couldn't keep up with maintaining one. BUT, I've finally got one back up and running and have been working on updating it, this blog, and my Facebook page with my current focus. Although it's all a work in progress, it'll never get released if I keep waiting for it to be perfect. 

The new site focuses on my current fine art series and projects, and also offers an easy way to order photo and canvas prints, and the art kits I make. I (responsibly) forage for natural materials and then hand make them into safe, healthy, and eco-friendly art supplies.

I'd love it if you'd take a few minutes to look around and share with others! It's a free and easy way to support me and my work. 

And if you need a new art piece for your wall, or love to create and want something you (or your kids) will love to create with, ordering something is pretty easy too. PLUS, I'm offering discounts on items in my shop until June 21st, 2019, so you have a few weeks to figure out what you want and grab something at a discounted price. Save 10% off a "middle" or "deluxe" art kit with code: ARTKITLAUNCH. And save 15% off all print and canvas print purchases with code: LAUNCH15.

* Visit the new site and galleries HERE and NOW *

M2R Fence Gallery Preview

Thanks to the Marietta Arts Council for a fabulous 2019 M2R Trailfest! Opening day was super fun, and I'm really enjoying getting to be a part of a public art show and festival. The M2R Fence Gallery is a one-mile long curated exhibit of area artists and photographers. It's installed track side along Marietta's Mountain to River Trail.

If you didn't make it out for the opening festivities, artwork will be up until July 10th, 2019- be sure to take a stroll on the trail and around the square to see it all! My piece is located on the trail section between the new market and the Brumby bridge. More info. here- https://www.mariettaartscouncil.com/trailfest-2019

Microcosm Compositions, part 4

A few new images shot for the series last week...

Upcoming: 2019 M2R Fence Gallery, Trailfest

I'm really looking forward to seeing the above image hanging in the 2019 M2R Fence Gallery in Marietta! Opening is this Saturday 5/11, and the outdoor exhibition will be hanging for the next month as part of the 2019 M2R Trailfest. Details can be found HERE.

Microcosm Compositions, part 3

New work added to the series...

Blue Marble Stew- Part 3

Science.Art.Wonder Showcase Tour Stops

A few of the recent stops on the Science.Art.Wonder 2019 showcase tour in March...

On display in the Atwood Chemistry Center at Emory University (in conjunction with ComSciCon).

On display at The Atlanta Science Festival Expo in Piedmont Park, Atlanta.

Blue Marble Stew- Part 2

The photo series (newly titled) Blue Marble Stew came about in 2018 from an impermanent art project for a kids art class I was teaching. I wanted to provide many natural materials, with some recycled objects, and a few toys in the mix to create temporary art pieces that once photographed, were then completely disassembled and wiped away. After that class project was complete, it made sense to continue in the same vein and to try and meld big, heavy, important environmental topics, with the lightness and playfulness of toys and found objects that may appeal to children.

My own daughter loves to create together- entire sets to play with including the main subjects, accessories, and a background or environment (the main character, a doll or animal, is never enough in these situations). Relating these playtime ideas of creating sets and then having to clean them all up, with the things that are happening on our planet such as habitat loss and the uncertain future of many species, is something I'm hoping to showcase in these mini narratives. All of the images are created by stacking 2-dimensional and 3-dimensional objects flat on paper, photographing it in natural light with a cell phone (professional camera equipment would completely change the vibe of this series), and then erasing the set as if nothing had been there, similar to what may be in store for planet Earth's future.

The two newest pieces to join this series are:

If you missed it, you can view part 1 here.

Upcoming S.A.W. Events

If you wanted to see my (above) piece in person, here are some upcoming dates to check it out at...

Through 3/21- A select few pieces from this years Science.Art.Wonder (S.A.W.) partnerships (including mine) were selected and are currently on display in the Atwood Chemistry Center at Emory University, in conjunction with the Science Communication Conference (ComSciCon 2019) happening 3/14 and 3/15. These pieces will stay in Atwood until Thursday 3/21.

Saturday, 3/23 is the Atlanta Science Festival Expo in Piedmont Park, 11am-4pm. Stop by the Science.Art.Wonder booth for multiple science/art related experiences such as 1) An Evolution-Art Activity in which participants will copy populations of shapes that change over time. This change illustrates evolution. 2) A Live Mural in which visitors will get to paint part of mural that illustrates the fungus-growing ant symbiosis, a model system for teaching about evolution. 3) An Art-Science gallery featuring works created by artists paired with scientists this year.

3/30- Showcase on Georgia Tech’s campus at the Culc (Clough Undergraduate Learning Commons) of S.A.W. art.

4/5 from 10am-5pm- S.A.W. art display on Emory’s campus at the Michael C. Carlos Museum in Ackerman Hall.

Science Art Wonder Project- Part 3

And the final piece is ready! Our art narrative and a few upcoming display dates are listed below, with more to come. Thanks so much to Science.Art.Wonder for offering this fun collaborative opportunity, and to my partner for sharing your important research with me. 


Title: Plague on the Prairie 
Artist: Jenn Fletcher 
Scientist: Ian Buller, MA, Environmental Health Sciences, Emory University 
Medium: Photography
Printed Size: 18” x 24” 

Most of the general public living in the southeastern United States (US) thinks the bubonic plague, aka the Black Death, is something that occurred a long time ago and is completely in our past. Those living in the western half of the country realize, however, that it actually still exists, and to many conservationists it is a very distressing disease. While it can affect humans, cases are rare (average 5 per year in US) and modern medicine makes it much less scary and more easily treatable than during the Medieval Ages. Rodents and felines, however, are not so lucky. 

The bacterium Yersinia pestis causes the plague and is transmitted between small mammals via fleabites, primarily in rodents and lagomorphs (rabbits). Some rodent species such as prairie dogs are highly susceptible to the disease and can perish in large numbers, often wiping out entire colonies. Prairie dogs are essential for the maintenance of the prairie ecosystem by promoting plant growth and being prey for numerous predators. Humans and their pets, especially cats, can get plague from a sick mammal or flea, but rarely from a prairie dog. Ian Buller, a graduate student at Emory University, is using climate data and coyotes sampled across the country by the US Department of Agriculture to identify where plague is cycling in the environment that are areas of high risk of infection. Coyotes are a perfect detector of plague activity because they are abundant across the US, eat small mammals, often survive plague if infected, and create antibodies that can be easily detected in their blood. 

The imagery in our piece comes from some important key players. The three main animals represented are the coyote (coyote skull), small mammals (rabbit pelt), and the heavily impacted keystone species for the prairie ecosystem (prairie dog figurine). To represent the landscape, rocks and juniper berries were collected on a trip out West, and the underground burrow was created with handmade earth pigments. “The Plague” in the top half of the image was created with handmade charcoal, presented in a way in which the disease may look under a microscope, and adding to the dark overtones of the topic and image. The “blood” element in which the plague is both transmitted and tested for in, is incorporated through red wax droplets and lighting effects. The piece builds layer upon layer, starting with a hand-drawn background with homemade art supplies, layered with real 3-dimensional objects, lit in a studio setting, and then photographed.


Want to see this on display? Check the following events to see this and more art/science pieces from other area artist and scientist teams.
- 3/14-15 ComSciCon Science Communication Conference, at Emory in Atwood Hall.
- 3/20 Science on Stage: The Forgotten Organ (Gallery in collaboration with Emory Chemistry Department)
- 3/23 Atlanta Science Festival Exploration Expo (Science.Art.Wonder booth)

Upcoming Junior Workshop: Leather Tooling

It's been awhile since we've hosted an Earth Art Jr. class, so I'm excited to announce this upcoming workshop. I hope you'll join us! 

On Wednesday, March 6th join us for this unique Earth Art Junior workshop where we'll introduce students to leather tooling! Children and their parents will learn about the art of leather crafting, and get the opportunity to hand tool a leather bookmark of their very own to take home. This workshop is geared towards children ages 3-7 years old, and requires parent participation. Full details and registration can be found HERE. 

Science Art Wonder Project- Part 2

A few weeks ago I introduced you to a project I've been working on for a few months where I got paired up with a scientist and had to visually represent their research. Since that project was officially due this week, I'll be sharing the final bits and pieces with you over the next few days, and then sharing where you can see it in person. A little bit about the primary steps that went into it... 

Step 1: Understand the research and topic 
Step 2: Brainstorm & sketch ideas 
Step 3: Gather materials, hand make art supplies 
Step 4: Draw background 
Step 5*: Arrange & layer 3D objects on top of background 
Step 6: Light the piece in studio & take photographs 
Step 7: Cull & edit images 
Step 8: Write artistic narrative & send final image off to printer 

Handmade supplies: Drawing charcoal, earth pigments, melted wax drops. 
Hand collected items: Coyote skull (from GA), rocks and juniper berries from the southwest.

*Image shown below is at Step #5... final image coming soon!

Earth Art Spring 2019 Preview

We're back with another unique session of Earth Art classes, with topics and projects you won't find anywhere else! On select Wednesdays from 10:30-11:30am, we'll meet with homeschoolers to learn about the DESIGN half of "Art & Design". We'll be introducing students to a variety of design concepts and nourishing their creativity through different exercises and projects. We'll be working with new materials to create both 2 and 3 dimensional pieces. One of the highlights of this session will be getting to combine our usual art and science with technology and engineering as we move full "STEAM" ahead and learn to create an object with 3D printing! 

Class dates are: Wednesday February 27, March 13, March 27*, April 10, and April 24. 

Class 1: Intro. to Design 
Class 2: Taking your designs from 2D to 3D (Pop-up book) 
Class 3: 3D Printing Lab 
 Class 4: Fabric Design (2D) 
Class 5: Botanical Sculpture (3D)

More details and registration can be found here- http://www.explorewildwood.com/p/art-classes.html


* Please note that this will be the last session of art classes until fall 2019. While we may schedule a few individual workshops, we're taking the summer off to work on some other important projects.
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Did you miss how our fall session turned out? Peek inside the fall session of Earth Art classes where our students created their own art kits from natural materials HERE. We had a great time and the students went home with some really beautiful boxes full of handmade art supplies!

Science Art Wonder Project- Part 1

This past fall, I applied to take part in this awesome program in the Atlanta area called Science.Art.Wonder, which uniquely provides artists with an alternative research experience, involving them in science education, while also showcasing their art across Atlanta. SAW carefully pairs scientists and artists, so that a collaboration between the two can take place to visualize scientific work. After the application process, I anxiously awaited my pairing assignment, and was super excited to be paired with someone working in an earth science (of course!) and then met with my partner a few months ago, learning all about and understanding his important research. I've been working hard to complete my finished piece and accompanying essay by our due date so the artwork will be ready in time for some upcoming spring science-based events. I'll be revealing the final piece and more information on what the research is all about later, but until then, here's a little behind the scenes peek at what I've been working on the past few months...