Start making Art YOU LOVE 

Join stARTs

 

 
The truth is:
 

In order to fully express yourself as an artist and find the authenticity that you crave, you first need to enjoy the process of creating

And if you’re going to be truly fulfilled by your art, you have to enjoy your own work (there’s no way around it, it’s kind of a requirement). 

 

Of course, you want to love your own work…but that’s easier said than done when you’ve never actually successfully completed a piece you love.

Because even when you can envision the art you want to create, your brain and your canvas don’t seem to connect.

After another marathon painting session, you’re left with a piece that started out with a clear vision and beautiful colors and ended in the “recycle” pile of canvases…again.

Maybe the colors didn’t exactly work together the way you hoped they would...

Maybe that dab of paint you meant to use to highlight parts of your piece accidentally just stole the show...

Maybe your piece looks more like a Paint by Numbers version of your inspiration picture, and less like a creative expression of your own style. 

Even though you've Googled endlessly trying to uncover that missing link...

after you’ve watched all the videos on YouTube...

and followed other artists’ instructions in workshops...

you end up creating carbon copies of their work instead of art that’s uniquely yours. 

 

Again.

And while there’s nothing wrong with just copying someone else’s brush strokes - at the beginning..., rarely does it leave you with the creative experience you’ve been craving.


And the worst part is, it seems like it comes easy for other creatives.

You're left wondering, what do they know that you DON'T?
 

Even though you appreciate art and adore painting (or at least you’d really like to)…

And you’d love nothing more than to produce work you’d be proud to hang in your home 
 

And even after you’ve put so much energy and effort into practicing your art, spending countless hours holding a brush, and carefully selecting colors and tools that will convey the emotions you want your piece to evoke…

 You still overthink every brushstroke and criticize yourself until you want to abandon your dream and try your black thumb hand at gardening instead.

 

But here’s the thing:
 

Even with all the preparation and work, you don’t know how to create art that looks and feels authentically like you…because no one ever gave you a process.

And now you’ve somehow put so much pressure on yourself that it’s completely lost the joy it once held for you. 
 
You desperately want to create a painting that feels finished, without being afraid of making the wrong move. 
 
You know painting would be so much more fun if you could just find the courage to stop second-guessing yourself and play freely with your art. 
 
And if you do make it to the point where you feel like your piece is juuuust a few finishing touches away, you’re afraid to make changes that ruin all the work you’ve already done.
 
It’s really hard to sit down at the canvas again and again when you honestly don’t know if you have what it takes to create a piece you love. 

 

 

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Despite what that voice in the back of your head tells you…

You ARE capable of taking a canvas all the way from blank to beautiful. 

 

Want to know the biggest difference between a painting you love so much that you proudly hang it in your living room and the unfinished canvas that’s shoved into the back of the hall closet?

It’s not… 

❌The quality of the paint you use 

❌The types of tools you create with 

❌Your skills (or perceived lack thereof)

❌Copying someone else’s brushstrokes and calling them your own

Creating a successful painting doesn’t just come down to the colors you choose or the tools you use. It’s a combination of those things used in A PROCESS that you developed.

In other words, the secret to creating a painting you can’t wait to show off lies in your unique process. 

The only missing ingredient to making art that reflects your distinct voice, style, and passion…

 

 Is a process to help you get past your roadblocks and embrace the freedom of expression.

 

With as much time and energy as you’ve invested in others over the years, you deserve to use this phase of your life to focus on YOU.



Yep, that means serving your own interests that bring you joy for a change. 

 

And as much as you love and appreciate art, you should feel confident in your ability to produce your own art that is a true expression of yourself. 

 

You should feel creatively fulfilled when creating art, and feel excited to share what you’ve done.

The kind of excited that makes you want to rush to your local art gallery, hang your painting on the wall, and show off your personal style. 

 

 

Hi, I’m Judy Woods,

artist and founder of stARTs

 

When I was 20 years old, I enrolled in art school with the desire to major in painting. 

I had very little experience and little to no confidence in myself. I felt like I didn’t belong in my classes.

At the end of my second year in art school, I was told that if I wanted to complete my degree, I would have to switch my major from painting to art history. 

This was a huge hit to my self-esteem. Instead of the beginning of my future, I felt like I’d arrived at the end of my dream. Not wanting to waste the 2 years I had spent in school so far, I completed the degree in art history. 

But in reality, I felt like a failure. 

I didn’t invite anyone to my graduation — hell, I didn’t even attend the Graduation Exhibition. 

 After graduation, I went into teaching and found that I loved it. I was great at teaching, but I was so busy with my students that my efforts to make time for my own paintings were sporadic at best (and usually interrupted by the million little demands of everyday life).

And when I started a family, life was even busier. Before I knew it, I hadn’t painted for myself in years.

Fast forward to 2016, and my father passed away. Thinking about how he had spent his life, I was suddenly confronted with my own mortality and realized that time was ticking by and I wasn’t pleased with my life. 

 Was gardening and making elaborate birthday cakes going to be the length and breadth of my creative endeavors?

When I started I was full of desire - but completely lost. Although I'd spent all my adult life involved in Art in some way, I had never pursued my own. Life, family, children, work had all taken priority over my passion. 

 Painting was what I loved to do most in life, and I had ignored it for years. 

Since then, I have taught hundreds of artists and helped them simplify their process, find their own artistic style, and gain confidence in their work.

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"Just so you know, your course profoundly changed the course of my artworks journey! I now paint with more confidence, have a distinct style developing and now have great real tools to guide the whole process. I am having a blast and I’m in the best place with my art that I have ever been! It's been the best course for me, especially at this time in my life and my artworks journey! A heartfelt thank you!"

Paige

What if you could confidently create art that scratches your creative itch and showcases your unique style?



It’s possible when you have the simple technical training, affirmation, and feedback you need to finish artwork that actually leaves you EXCITED and ready to start the next piece.

It’s not a matter of natural talent, experience, or even time available. It’s simply a matter of having a process and a mentor that you can use again and again to create abstract art.

Which is why, after 30 years of painting, first as an Art Teacher and then as a professional artist, I began to teach these methods to other hopeful creatives so they could use them to fill their free time with art that brought them joy.
 
And eventually, all of those one-off little lessons, tips, tricks, and trainings started to snowball into something much bigger. 

 

And so, stARTs was born.

 
stARTs is not a run-of-the-mill art course or painting workshop, where you follow the instructor's every move and leave with a piece that looks just like every other students’. Not even close.

This is a start-where-you-are mentorship  that will help you create finished products that represent you (no matter your age, experience, skill level, or how much free time you have in a week).

You’ll learn how to get out of your head, and develop your own process so that you have the freedom and confidence to take the necessary risks to completely transform your work.

The truth is:

 
The only way to get to new places is to step into unfamiliar territories.

 

So you’ll learn how to try new tools, embrace new colors, and change your process so you can achieve bigger and better things.

Are you ready to amaze yourself?

Introducing

 

stARTs

 

The create-as-you-learn abstract art course that provides you with the support and guidance you need to create art you love.

Join stARTs
 
stARTs is the year-long mentorship program you need to transform into a confident and creatively fulfilled artist with a unique style and a strong point of view. 

You’ll get instructional videos that break down art theory into simple applicable ideas, and be led to establish your unique creative process. 
 
 You'll connect with a community of other artists on a similar journey to support and encourage you, you'll get exercises to put your newly learned skills into practice, and guidance through it all. 
 
 The simple but detailed training will give artists of all backgrounds and skill levels a roadmap for finding their voice and creating finished work (while enjoying every step of the journey).

stARTs has helped hundreds of abstract artists develop their own signature process and style and create artwork they love.

“I must say that now ... instead of feeling bummed about my less than successful abstract studies, I really enjoy rescuing them with some of the techniques from Judy's stARTs course ❤ “ - Lana

The first step to discovering something new that you’ve never seen in your work…

Is to be fearless in your work. You’ve got to throw caution to the wind, try new things, and embrace creative freedom.

But that sort of revolution doesn’t happen overnight.

To truly transform as an artist, you need:

Curriculum

On-demand video trainings that cover everything from design to colour theory, to exactly what you need to sell your work, and everything in between.

You’ll be able to log into your dashboard anytime and learn at your own pace.

This is not high-brow art theory meant to confuse but practical applicable lessons which break abstract art into a language you can speak and easily apply.  As well as practical tips to take into the studio.

Coaching

You’ll have bi-weekly coaching calls with me, where I review art submissions, answer questions, and give tips and share inspiration to keep you motivated along your art journey.

You’ll also have access to coaches from my team that are dedicated to answering your questions and providing insight that helps you achieve your goals.

Community

Inside the stARTs student Facebook group you’ll find the support of your peers, other abstract artists on the same journey as you. You can also join breakout rooms, where you can make personal connections with smaller groups of artists within the stARTs program, and share your progress.

And all that is exactly what you’ll get inside my abstract art 12-month mentorship and training program. 

 

stARTs is a self-paced course, so there’s no pressure to keep up with anyone or stress about hitting homework deadlines.

 

PLUS you get LIFETIME ACCESS to all the content - so you don't have to put your life on hold and you can revisit as often as you want

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“I love it that I can do this course at my own pace. That also means that I can go back and repeat something that I could have done better or differently. Repetition = learning!

I started yesterday and made some beginner's mistakes. I reviewed the videos again, noted what I could do differently, then prepared a second substrate today, to see if I could do better.

These exercises are also providing an important personal challenge: Stop the evaluation and analysis along the way! Rather, appreciate what is happening in the process and respond to it. So whatever I post here is just show-and-tell…” look at this!” Just the joy of creating and learning.”

Donna Varner

Inside the Curriculum



Creating something can be incredibly joyful and liberating. But if you’re not sure you have the skills it takes to create art that others would admire - I'd like to prove to you that you HAVE!!
 
I believe you do have the skills needed to create art you love, and I can’t wait to help you strengthen those skills!

The 12-month stARTs program will provide you with the mentorship, community, and resources you need to improve your abstract painting skills and develop your own signature process and style. 
 
Throughout the program, you will be able to create the artwork you love, WITHOUT feeling anxious over the final product. 
 
You'll have the confidence to complete your work without overthinking, and you will be thrilled by the results you achieve! 
 
The course is set up so that you’ll learn first, then implement what you’ve learned before moving on. Putting what you’ve learned into practice helps you build your skills and develop your own style throughout the course of the program.

 

“Doing the program has given me the ability to begin to create work that I now love and a process that has not only eliminated fear but has opened up my thinking to more possibilities.”

Sonia Robb

 

The stARTs curriculum contains self-paced video demonstrations that teach you the principles of design, color, value, mindset, and the stages of a painting.

Throughout the curriculum, I share a range of tools, methods, and processes that you can adapt and make your own. You will learn the skills and techniques you need to develop YOUR OWN STYLE and create authentic art. 

You will learn how to navigate your paintings from start to the finish line and turn unfinished projects into paintings you love.

You'll have LIFETIME ACCESS to all the content so there's no time pressure - it really is self-paced.

 
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“I really like that the course is self paced! Takes so much pressure off and I can really indulge in the process 😉 Im resting with my soul when making these artworks.”

Daria

With each stARTs Journey, you won’t just learn how to paint.

You’ll also be producing 4-6 paintings in each of the 6 stARTs Journeys - while implementing the lessons learned.

By the end of the course, you’ll have at least 30 completed paintings that show you just how far you’ve come as an artist.

Work at your own pace through the 6 Painting Journeys - each uniquely different to create YOUR beautiful art.

Introduction:

Welcome to stARTs

 

We’ll kick things off with an overview of the program so you can get the most out of these lessons without becoming overwhelmed.

 

Step 1: Design

The first module is all about design. We start with Design + Differences, where we’ll discuss the importance of design and how to identify different elements of design. 

In the next lesson, we’ll talk Design + Real Estate, which covers how to effectively use the space on your canvas and what to consider when you decide which elements of your piece get the most real estate. 

And finally, we’ll talk about Design + The Ant, where we’ll explore perspective and consider how others experience our paintings.

 
  • Over-The-Shoulder Tutorial: Design

In this 8-part series, we’re putting everything we learned about Design into practice. In all stARTs modules, you learn by watching over my shoulder so you can see step-by-step what these lessons look like put into action. 

Step 2: Value/Tone

The most powerful element of your painting, Value/Tone, is recognized by the human eye even before color! We’ll cover how to organize your Design + Value, construct a Grand Design, and add in Supporting Players.

 

  • Over-The-Shoulder Tutorial: Value/Tone
Together we’ll play with tone and colour while creating a collection of paintings.

Step 3: Colour

In this lesson we’ll cover the importance of colour, how to use colour, the colour choosing process, and how to mix harmonious colours in your paintings.
 
  • Over-the-Shoulder Tutorial: Colour
stARTs 3 is a 9-part series where we’re putting our new colour knowledge into practice!

Step 4: Style

In this series, we’re going to uncover how to develop YOUR personal style. We’ll cover what a personal style even is, and how you can create your own.

How amazing would it be for someone to recognize your work before they even saw your name on the bottom!

We’ll also focus on mindset in this lesson so you can build a joyful art practice and silence fear, the imposter, inner critic and anything else holding you back.

  • Over-the-Shoulder Tutorial: Style

The next 3 modules are an over-the-shoulder demonstration of how I implement the Style training. stARTs 4 is a 4-part series using small paintings to experiment with layers! We’ll play with texture to build depth and complexity. 

  • Over-the-Shoulder Tutorial: Negative Painting

In this lesson we’ll paint using a technique called Negative Painting. This is a great lesson for artists who like representative items, such as still-life or botanicals, within their works. It’s entirely up to you, make it your own!

  • Over-the-Shoulder Tutorial: Collage

In this 7-part series we’re experimenting with photography in collage and learning how to integrate realism into an abstract painting.  

Step 5: Stages of a Painting

Understanding what to focus on and WHEN is crucial to not getting lost midway through. We’ve all done it: started a painting and then walked away with no idea how to move forward. I’ll help prepare you to move your painting through all stages so you can finish what you’ve started.

Step 6: Moving Forward - Mindset + The Future

A recap of where you’ve been, what we’ve covered, and the next steps! In order to move forward, you have to be confident in what you already know. This recap will set you up for the next stages in your art journey.

COACHING

 

Join me and other stARTs students on Zoom every two weeks over the course of the 12-month program for LIVE group coaching sessions. Being able to 'ask the teacher' in real time and get feedback on your work is what elevates stARTs above all other art courses - I believe it's essential for learning and understanding the principles taught in the program.

These calls are a supportive and safe space where you can ask any questions you have and address the mindset blocks you’re facing. Submit your art for a review during the coaching call, and together we’ll troubleshoot problem areas, and make a plan for how you can move your piece closer to a finished product you love.

COMMUNITY

 

Making art can be a lonely business.  That’s why I believe having access to a community of artists who are all on a similar journey accelerates your success. 

When you join stARTs, you’ll receive access to our private Facebook group, reserved exclusively for stARTs students. You’ll have lifetime access to this private community filled with like-minded artists on the same journey as you. The community is a safe and non-judgmental place where you can have open discussions, connect with your peers, and share what you’ve been working on. 

You’ll also have access to trained coaches who are available to help you when you feel stuck and answer your questions in real time.  Many of my students have formed lasting friendships during their time doing stARTs and continue to meet today.

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Even though stARTs is a full course designed for beginner to experienced artists, I know that sometimes you need just a few more examples to help you silence any remaining doubts as you work through your own art. 

 

So I’m throwing in access to these bonuses inside your membership so you can see what it looks like when I practice what I preach! 

Bonus: Practice what you preach: Red Painting & Blue Painting

 

In the Practice What You Preach bonus modules, you can see my process through all stages of a painting.

In the Beginning stage, I first start putting paint to canvas. The Middle stage is when things can get a little crazy... I'll talk you through how I identify my 'star players' and organize the chaos.

In the Ending stages, you’ll see the Clarifying step where I start simplifying the piece and eliminating distractions. 

In the Finishing stages, when I’m finally happy with my work, I’ll walk you through the process of deciding when a piece is finished. 

Bonus: Substrates to Selling

 

Warning: Side effects of stARTs may include all of your friends, your cousin, and your neighbour down the street asking you to make them their own custom pieces.

If you’ve ever thought about selling your artwork, I’ve created a bonus module that includes answers to commonly asked questions, as well as tips to increase the value of your work. 

We’ll cover how to scale up your work and create larger paintings. I show you how to choose your canvases and my method of attaching the canvas to panels.  I cover stretchers, frames, sealing and varnishing to protect and preserve them so they maintain their original integrity for years to come.

<NEW> When you're ready to exhibit your work - and this WILL happen - you can use my email templates, contact trackers, to keep in touch with Galleries.  Write your Artist Statement with my helpful PDF and put together your first portfolio - I have a template for that too!

"My art has never been so recognized & awarded before I took your classes. Thank you so much."

Kate Word

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~THE MOST SAVINGS~

USD$1,197

one payment

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~THE MOST FLEXIBILITY~

USD$145

9 monthly payments

ENROLL NOW

The stARTs Guarantee

 

Join stARTs 100% risk-free for 21 days. 

 

stARTs is a comprehensive program for artists who are committed to expanding their knowledge about abstract art, improving their skills, and creating authentic art with meaning and value. 

 When you join, you’ll be a part of our unique community of abstract artists, all on a similar mission to freely express themselves and create joy with their art. 
 
I believe in you and your success through the stARTs program so much, that if within the first 21 days, you decide stARTs isn’t the program for you, I will refund your purchase. 
 
I believe your art will be transformed through the skills you develop through this training, and I hope you will give yourself and your art your very best effort. That’s why in order to be eligible for the stARTs Money Back Guarantee, I want to make sure you gave it a chance.
 
If you’ve completed a minimum of 1 module and attended a minimum of 1 coaching call, and don’t feel I’ve delivered on my promise, simply submit your work and reach out to me at info@judywoodsart.com and I will refund your purchase. 

"I know in my heart that I’m going to end up with a painting I love. This was a different way of tackling the problem of focusing on the end product too much. I can be with the painting in the moment and also celebrating the painting it will turn out to be. That I know I will love. This felt revolutionary. Also engages the idea of trust in self and process. The second half of your closing video, I should listen to that every single day! It filled me with such perspective and optimism." 

Erin Seegers

Questions other artists have asked before joining stARTs

"I love what I am learning in your stARTs course! So thank you for that! It has come at the right time for me, as I was feeling discouraged and needed some direction and answers. I have painted many things in my life, but these several years I feel directed to abstract. It is so challenging and I hadn't realized how challenging it would be and I was starting to wonder if I should give it up. Thanks to you, for now I am sticking with it, because I am so happy and it is so satisfying when it all comes together and I love a piece." 

Karen

“A lovely workshop filled with options, new ideas, and innovative approaches. Though I've worked artistically for many years, the paths you suggest in stARTs have been different and most inspiring. Thank you for the illumination and encouragement this course -- and you -- have provided!”

Clare Bowen

Not sure you’ll be a good fit?

This program might not be for you if…

 

❌ You’re looking for a Paint by Numbers or “lets all paint this same barn and cattle landscape” step-by-step type instruction. 

I’m sure there’s a time and place for each of those things, but this is not the time nor the place. If you’re looking for a class where everybody’s painting looks identical at the end, you will not love stARTs. 

The stARTs program focuses entirely on abstract art, and how to establish your own unique process to create abstract art so you can fully express yourself artistically. 

 

❌You’re looking for in-person classes, where we sit shoulder to shoulder and share paint trays. 

The stARTs program is 100% online. While I would love to be in the same room with you, we’ll have to get our face time virtually.

The internet is amazing, right? I can teach from my studio in New Zealand while reaching students across the world. The community of stARTs from all different backgrounds makes it an incredible place to find inspiration and motivation along your personal art journey. 

 

❌ You’d rather do a Do-It-Yourself program. 

Technically you could do stARTs completely alone, if you really wanted to. But I encourage you to take full advantage of the bi-weekly coaching calls and the private Facebook group, so you can mingle with other artists. Communities are powerful and the stARTs community is no exception, filled with discussion, feedback, and inspiration.

GET STARTED TODAY!

 

~THE MOST SAVINGS~

USD$1197

one payment

ENROLL NOW

~THE MOST FLEXIBILITY~

USD$145

9 monthly payments

ENROLL NOW

“My plan is to go through it all once (twice...) more 😉 - for me this says a lot about the quality and usefulness of Judys course. I also really like the feedback, questions and suggestions from all the participants in this group - super inspirational!” 

Sigrun Hodne

“I am really enjoying this process. I love it that Judy shows us what to do rather than telling us and letting us figure it out ourselves. I think it helps build confidence because we know exactly what to do and how to build on to our own…  I feel that I am actually being taught something. Judy is not only a great artist, she is also a great teacher, which is very important. I am so pleased that I found this workshop. 😍” 

Glenda Smith

"All the many epiphanies.: the ant, focusing on differences, color, the heroes, the section on style, mindset. Each section brought something new to me (and I took many classes in the past even in university)" 

Louise Singer

"Mindset is so important to sustain productive growth and the strategies that Judy gave us are empowering. I also love the assessment tools that we were taught for reviewing and adjusting our work. They are easy to remember and apply.  The principles taught here are universal and support design, value and color choices for the individual work of each artist. Judy is a wonderful, gifted teacher."

Ann Mortensen

While I, along with hundreds of other students, think stARTs is pretty awesome I only want you to join if it’s the right fit for you.

 

stARTs is perfect for you if:  

 

You’re in the beginning stages of your artistic journey. 

The stARTs curriculum is designed to teach you everything you need to know about abstract art as well as the process it takes to create something that brings you joy. If you love abstract art, stARTs is still perfect for you even if you’ve never created abstract art before or put a brush to a canvas. 

 

You’ve been trying to create art you love for years, but you’re lost when it comes to the process. 

Inside stARTs, I have every step clearly laid out for you. There are plenty of over-the-shoulder type videos so you can watch my process as I take a blank canvas and turn it into a piece of art. 

 

You’ve got more than one unfinished project lying around on the kitchen table, tucked into a drawer in your office, or hiding out with the Christmas decorations in the closet.

I’ll let you in on a secret: all artists do. My program Fix & Finish is now a part of the stARTs program and includes the principles and processes students need to turn unfinished projects into paintings they love. 

 

You want to enjoy the process of creating art, even if the end result isn’t perfect.

Throughout stArts, I teach my processes that allow you to move past any roadblock that comes between you and a finished painting. We’ll work on the mindset you need in order to enjoy the journey, and how to love your art at every stage it goes through before it’s finished. At the end of each piece, your art will surprise you, and you’ll create something unlike anything you’ve ever done before. 

 

You are done trying to figure this art thing out on your own. You’re ready to put an end to the frustration of trying to piece together different pieces of advice from different artists, all in different stages of their work. Between the curriculum, live coaching calls, and the private Facebook group, you never have to wander around on your own. 

 

You’re excited to create your own signature style. Since the creation of stARTs, I have taught my process to hundreds of artists so they can identify what works for them, allowing them to simplify their own process, find their own artistic style, and gain confidence to create their own signature work.


 

So take a moment to pause and reflect. Think about where you want to be this time next year.

 

Will you push your art to the back burner once again, feeling frustrated with the lack of direction? Let the doubt in your mind win over your desire to create as an artist?

 

OR will you have completed several pieces of art, all with your own unique style and process, and have them proudly displayed in your home or a gallery for others to enjoy. 

 

If becoming a confident abstract artist is the goal you want to achieve, I can guide you through the step-by-step process that will get you there. 

 

I’ll see you inside!

 

LET'S DO THIS