Jessica's portrait

I’ve been having terrible insomnia lately and complain bitterly to all who will listen but there is an upside; you get time to think that is unplugged, focused, and reflective. Last night I tried to decide what I would put in a letter to my own kids, nephews, nieces and all those who are of an age where they’re trying to decide what to do with their lives. My big epiphany was that self-knowledge is primary. The more you know yourself, the more you can decipher what you really like to do more than anything else (I love skateboarding, I love drumming, I love math). The more you know yourself, the more you understand your temperament (I hate being told what to do, I love managing others, I want to include being creative in my career). And lastly, I would tell those kids to know that if you have a passionate interest, what you don’t know, you can learn. You love movies now and may not have a clue how the film industry works but you can learn it.


When I came out of college, my minor in art taught me nothing about the industry I wanted to go into nor did it teach me many drawing skills. I felt I couldn’t be a graphic artist because I couldn’t draw very well. Now I know different. You can learn it.

Jessica’s Portrait was painted Sunday on the last day of a four day portrait workshop. I know it’s not great but I also know that with lots of practice, I’ll get much better. Be aggressive about learning and you will be amazed at where you’ll go.

See my paintings now on Face Book at Face Book Joanne Shellan Fine Art and on my website Joanne Shellan Fine Art