let me guide your
creative journey
I’m Mel Mitchell-Jackson (they/them) and I compassionately support others pursuing creative craft and breaking free from harmful tech tools.
I guide folks through traps that get in the way of art. My work transforms beginner artists into skilled craftspeople who work with their hands, bodies, and the beauty around them.
The goal is to help you embrace your inner artist so you can persistently bloom in your practice!
Ready to start a
drawing habit?
Learn traditional skills, how to keep a sketchbook, and embrace the wobble of art in compassion-centered zoom room.
class starts march 28th!
does your art practice
wobble in and out
of regularity?
i built The Hikers Way to overcome the myth that art takes on the same shape every day. artist’s lives are shaped by seasons, fallow periods, and bloom periods.
We aren’t productivity bros. We are nature! Instead of trying to do the same work every day, this program will reveal your seasonality, gentle adaptations, and how community support can keep your inspiration alive, even when you are in a period of rest.
The pod-class will help you uncover the rhythm and shape of your practice through 14 podcast-episodes you can download and listen to anywhere, reflective writing prompts, and resources for each cycle.
self-guided classes
for improving your art skills
My most popular in-person analog art making workshop is now fully self directed!
Inside the class portal you’ll learn
How to craft photos and edit them
The step-by-step process Mel uses to make paintings from photos
To utilize your sketchbook to study paintings and practice
Learn to mix almost any color and save money on paint by mixing your own varieties
Understand the importance of value and shape in paintings
Drawing systems for overcoming the fear of starting and getting drawings “correct”
How to build color recipes for your image
Strategies for organizing your inspiration and staying inspired
The examples in the class focus mostly on paintings of nature and landscapes, but there is a bonus demo on the Zorn palette and portrait painting!
Want to know more? visit the class info page here
Upon purchasing, you’ll receive a PDF file with everything you need to access the class portal!
Sick of seeing ai-slop on your feed? This class is all about learning how to be part of the alternative to generated, efficient, robot-made art.
In this self-guided version of my popular collage class, you’ll find your way with analog materials to make flyers, posters, carousel posts, thumbnails, and other materials for sharing things online without ever touching an ai tool.
Here’s what the class covers:
Play with physical materials, learn to rip, glue, and remix collages while getting in touch with playful supplies from your childhood like crayons and markers.
Build confidence to engage your unique human art brain while working against the need to be good and celebrate making “weird art”
Learn easy methods for scanning images using an iPhone or iPad
Dive into the layout and functions of the software Procreate for iPad. Why are we using Procreate? They have an anti-generative AI stance and their software is incredibly accessible!
Explore intermediate Procreate workflows with layers and masking to make the most of your physical collages and touch them up to look rad wherever you plan to share them.
Note: this class centers around using an iPad and the app Procreate in section 2! No tech is required for class 1, but things are scanned in using a smartphone. Want support with another app or a different system? explore tutoring options instead!
now in my life:
I just wrapped up production on a video all about the myth of consistency and why it hurts artists! watch it here:
March is a big month for me, coming out of my winter cocoon sharing my story with others. Check podcasts to listen:
are you building out
a new course, youtube channel,
newsletter, or online community?
imagine if you had a skilled expert at your fingertips to help you overcome technical issues, clarify what matters, and get on the right track.
that’s project support.
wanna collect some art?!
6”x8” Print of a watercolor (gouache) painting of a gull perching on granite rocks at Dusk in Monterey. This painting I made shortly after a plein air workshop in Carmel and I was super inspired by the light!
Each print is made with a special process of pigment ink printing on cotton paper -- with a gorgeous watercolor paper texture like the original.
All prints are made in Oakland and signed on the back by me! Your print will arrive wrapped with an acid-free backing to keep it safe before framing.
Loved my Lichen Live Oak painting, but on a tight budget? I’ve got you!
Each print is made with a special process of pigment ink printing on cotton paper -- with a gorgeous watercolor paper texture giving it the look and feel of an original. This pigment ink makes it more long lasting than ink printing done with dyes.
All prints are made in Oakland, California and signed by me! Your print will arrive wrapped with an acid-free backing to keep it safe before framing.
6”x8” Print of a watercolor (gouache) painting of the tide pools in the afternoon in Monterey. This painting I made shortly after a plein air workshop in Carmel and I was super inspired by the tide pool shapes.
Each print is made with a special process of pigment ink printing on cotton paper -- with a gorgeous watercolor paper texture like the original.
All prints are made in Oakland and signed on the back by me! Your print will arrive wrapped with an acid-free backing to keep it safe before framing.
free stuff 4 u:
In need of some creative prompts for your human-made art? I am a big questions and prompts guy and write a monthly free newsletter on Substack that contains themed prompts each month!
Building a go-bag? In addition to the Zine I created earlier this year, I made a simple checklist to help you start the process of building. Click here for that.
