hello, future student!
I’ve been dreaming up new online class offerings. Below you’ll find info on signing up for current classes and waitlists for joining future sessions.
Sign up for anything that moves you! Waitlist signups work like votes for which class gets taught next!
Wanna know more about me as an instructor and artist first? read my resume here
Mel's Watercolor and Gouache Class was
an incredibly worthwhile use of
my Sunday mornings over the last six weeks.
I now feel more confident setting up and starting a painting. I've learned many new techniques for building my skills—even when my energy and motivation are too low to create original work. They walked us through crafting and editing high-quality reference photos, what to look for when creating value studies and thumbnails, and painting techniques to achieve styles unique to watercolor and gouache.
I especially loved their focus on color and value—areas I hadn't explored much before that are significantly leveling up my work. Their compassionate approach to art, artists, and the learning process freed me from guilt about being behind on class projects.
It allowed me to tune in to the wealth of knowledge they shared. I would recommend this class to anyone wanting to improve their watercolor and gouache skills. It was incredibly informative and fun.
-Hilary W. - Watercolor & Gouache Online Class
UPCOMING classes
The Week of
the Archivist
Are you ignoring a doom pile of digital items in your Notes app, screenshots, or just your phone photos in general? Is your computer desktop always messy? Do you want to build a system to finally manage these things while body doubling with others? That’s the week of the archivist happening in mid-July.
This class will help you root into the integrative cycle to find the connections you’ve hidden from yourself. You’ll walk away with strategies to start scrolling your own ideas instead of that app you always reach for and a community of people to keep you accountable over the long haul.
Ready to learn more or know when it’s happening? Join the waitlist below!
Class will begin in summer 2026.
Sign up for the waitlist to be first to know more info and when to sign up.
PHOTOGRAPHY
WITHOUT NOTIFICATIONS
Learn to shoot photos away from your phone with a physical digital or film camera.
When was the last time that you went through the photos on your phone?
How many times have you tried to take a picture, and ended up opening an app on accident or getting distracted down a rabbit hole?
Do you always feel compelled to upgrade your device each year in order to have a better camera?
In this class we will learn to separate photography from our smart phone and learn how to use physical cameras that transform documenting our life into an embodied experience, rather than an opportunity for distraction.
You’ll learn:
How to read your camera’s manual and menu without getting overwhelmed
The key terms for taking good photos: ISO, shutter speed, f-stops, and the difference between file formats like JPG and RAW
Tips for composition, lighting, and noticing what’s in front of you with depth
How to buy used gear, from camera bodies to vintage lenses, and what kinds of filters give your images a unique character.
knitting:
an antidote to scrolling
for total beginners!
Ready to finally demystify how people make fabric with two sticks? In this three week class you’ll learn and practice the basics of how to knit, purl, read patterns, and most importantly, read your own stitches.
This craft will transform your relationship with the world around you and finally give you something to do instead of picking up your phone.
We will explore the differences in needle types, materials, and why there are so many different ways to knit while also getting into some of the radical history of this craft. Oh btw, left-handed knitters welcome too!
Class will last 3 weeks and begin in early fall 2026
past student thoughts:
I really loved this class : i attended online with a European-friendly time (thanks a lot !) as well as completed it with the replay. It's awesome to offer both. Mel is an awesome teacher, They take time to answer any questions the students might have, even by researching the information if needed, and they provide awesome feedback on our projects. It's been an awesome experience, both in person during the live classes and remotely thanks to the replays.
-Student in Watercolor & Gouache Online Class
Mel is an amazing artist and not always are amazing artists good teachers.
But Mel has a tremendous facility to impart their knowledge to their students in a relatable way. I have taken two classes from them and hope to take many more. Loved this class too!
-Student in Beginning Watercolor from Photos
Start drawing!
building a compassionate
sketchbook practice
This class will combine lecture, tutorials, and practical art skills to help you start drawing confidently.
While you learn skills and techniques, you’ll uncover how the power of self-compassion can sustain a sketchbook practice for the long haul!
join the waitlist for the next round here:
beginner
oil painting
a six week online class
Want to try the buttery magic of working with oil paints but don’t want to deal with the incredibly messy cleanup and toxic solvents?
Together we will learn how to work with water-soluble oils, the ones I use for my practice, to be able to work in small spaces or out in nature to create beautiful images.
You’ll learn to create underpaintings, discern and mix color through a limited palette, and end class feeling confident on how to play - and stay safe - when working in oils!
Live sessions will include feedback and guidance for your work.
beginner
watercolor
& Gouache painting
from photos
This class will take you from fumbling around as a beginner to feeling confident with watercolor and gouache while also supporting intermediate artists with refining their practice.
If you have always wanted to build the confidence picking your own images and making projects this is the class! Self-directed version available now for $89.
learn the systems
& techniques i use
From filling sketchbooks to finishing artworks worth framing, I’'ll show you how to mix colors, build better compositions, and understand how to pick or build your own strong reference.
Live session planned for mid-fall 2026 join the waitlist to learn more:
Creative
flow yoga
Tarot-inspired yoga classes to start your day with movement inspired by monthly creative prompts.
Each session has a simple structure, a 50 minute flow followed by 20 minute creative session and discussion. Co-led by Mel Mitchell-Jackson and Yoga Instructor and Artist Maret Miller.
Live sessions coming in mid 2026 with sliding scale pricing.
want one-on-one support
for your creativity 2026?
i’d love to help you
trade passive consumption and scrolling
for a custom-to-you practice of art making
that sustains your wellbeing.
We can work at whatever pace works for you in the form of a custom creative retreat or skill-focused tutoring session.
Booking an exploratory call to chat about your needs is free!
is there something you
WISH I would teach
that you don’t see offered here?
Lemme hear all about it, send me an email.
need to setup a clear foundation for 2026?
My 70 minute class will walk you through building a foundation by reflecting on 2025, aligning your future plans with your core values, set intentions for the year ahead, figure out who you’re making for and we end by writing a manifesto! The download is just $22
Wanna do it on your own? my hand-built Notion Dashboard Template is now available on my shop for $17. In it I walk you through similar prompts and also share the database I use for tracking creative ideas from seed to harvest.
