I look forward to hanging out in a train!

“I look forward to hanging out in a train,” Artist Jayne Morgan says with a big smile.  The local oils and acrylics painter, recognized for her honey bear paintings,  is setting up her new studio at On A Shoestring on Shades Crest Road and also a teaching space at Moonlight on the Mountain just a few steps away.  “I see great things coming from this collaboration with Moonlight On The Mountain and On A Shoestring!

Working out of the caboose, Jayne plans to continue with commissioned work and to have art available for purchase.

“The caboose is really cool and a lot bigger than you would think,” Jayne says.  “I look forward to working with more Bluff Park businesses and keeping art up on the bluff!”  

This new use for the caboose of the antique store is part of the vision Jaime Thursby and his family have for their business.  

“On A Shoestring has been wanting to transform the caboose into something special for quite some time,” Jaime says.  “We feel that it is a Bluff Park landmark that has not lived up to its full potential.  Jayne Morgan is the perfect fit with a fresh, modern vibe,” he continues.  “She brings artistic value to our market – Park & Crest – while adding a distinctive flair to On A Shoestring.”

Michel O’Brien, owner of Moonlight On The Mountain in the shopping center next door agrees.  O’Brien already added yoga classes, children’s reading time, and other activities to the listening room’s schedule and started hanging local art earlier this year, so when Jayne walked in to discuss teaching there, the two found it was a perfect fit.  

The two are working on a schedule of classes that will start in a few weeks.  “It will be similar to the classes I have been offering at Artists On The Bluff  such as an afterschool class for k-5th grades and a BYOB adult painting class,” Jayne says.  They will also be adding some workshops, advanced adult classes, and possibly a knitting class.

“We are pleased to welcome Bluff Park Artist Jayne Morgan and her students to Moonlight on the Mountain, ” Michel says. “Connecting the art of songwriting with mixed media was part of our vision and it began to take shape earlier this year. ”

“Since August, Moonlight has hosted multiple artist showcases and workshops. Most recently, Darla Williamson of Tangled Stones Studio held a two day workshop which brought in 25 Zentangle teachers from six different states,” Michel continues. “Bluff Park has some amazing artists and we are thrilled to assist in keeping the art on the mountain top.”

 

Teaching at Moonlight allows Jayne to continue doing what she loves with her students, “I do love teaching and I teach my classes exactly how I would do a painting. So the kids paint just how I paint which is pretty cool to get to be the first painting influence on them.” Jayne also says students that have painted with her over the years start branching out on their own and it is exciting for her to see what they are picking up.

Along with teaching children and adults, Jayne also works with the Exceptional Foundation in Homewood. “I really love teaching special needs kids and adults. I started volunteering with an organization several years ago that lead me to the Exceptional Foundation. The foundation now makes frequent trips to my studio and I’m excited to have them join me at Moonlight On The Mountain,” Jayne says.

Behind The Art

Jane credits her mom with getting her started in painting at the age of ten.  In high school she says she had an amazing art program at Hoover.  “I sold my first piece of art my junior year in my ceramics class with Nelson Grice.  That year I also won a state art award for a piece I welded out of scrap metal also in Nelson’s class.  So when I went to college, I thought I was going to do sculpture but eventually found myself as a painting major at the Savannah College of Art and Design,” Jayne says.

After graduating in 2010, Jayne says she really didn’t know what she wanted to do as far as a job, but she knew she wanted to participate in art shows.  Jayne moved to Bluff Park and started doing any and every show she could get into, and now she is a full time artist doing over eighty art shows.

Jayne started teaching private art classes about seven years ago out of the dining room of her house.  “Teaching was another way to make money on top of doing art festivals and all my other part time jobs – working retail, babysitting and picking up kids from school, and teaching dance classes.”

Her Space At Artists On The Bluff

In 2012 Jayne opened a full teaching studio at Artists On The Bluff that allowed her to not only teach private lessons but larger groups as well.  “I have weekly classes, birthday parties, summer camps and workshops at my studio.”

When people began to get the news that the Hoover School Board gave Artists On THe Bluff until December 31 to move out of the old Bluff Park School, Jayne says she overwhelmed by the generosity of the community to help her. “I had so many people reach out to me offering their basements or gallery spaces or whatever they could offer to help,” Jayne says.  “I am excited to work with On a Shoestring and Moonlight On The Mountain!  I love all the new ways they are supporting and promoting the area.”

Jayne is also joining a team working to form an arts council in Hoover.  “I am also excited to be the chairwoman on a committee with the city of Hoover to possibly find a new arts center.  I look forward to collaborating with business owners and artists and city councilmen.