Jinjer Markley is an artist, illustrator, and color nerd in Minneapolis, MN. Her formal training is in science: She has an M.M.s in Plant Biology. She also formally studied science teaching and formerly taught middle school science. Her interest in math and science leaks into everything she does, including her abstract watercolor painting. Working with watercolor is a collaboration among water, pigment, and paper, and all the ways they interact. She has been teaching art classes since 2017 and invented the Color Triangle, a color mixing tool.
Program Offerings
Residencies
Character Design for Picture Books
Students explore how illustrators bring stories to life through expressive, original characters. Jinjer Markley, a published children’s book illustrator, guides participants in designing a character, learning age‑appropriate facial proportions, and, depending on workshop length, adding emotions or drawing dynamic actions based on short texts.
Day 1 & 2: Design a unique character, learning about facial proportions to age the character appropriately.
Day 3 & 4: Analyze a text and give the character emotions appropriate for the story.
Day Five: Analyze a text for appropriate actions and draw active characters.
Circles Around the World
Perfect circles appear in traditional patterns worldwide. In this workshop, we peek through circle-based patterns into the history and culture of 4-7 different cultures from different continents! We create black-and-white line art while learning basic geometric construction techniques, including concentric circles, perpendicular bisectors, and constructing hexagons.
The selection of patterns and the pacing will be adjusted to the group’s needs and abilities.
Science of Watercolor
What is watercolor? It’s water, pigment, and glue! In this residency, we learn some basic chemical properties of the ingredients in watercolor, making a sample book to record our discoveries. Then, we use what we’ve learned to make and test a claim about paint mixing!
Duration: approximately 5 sessions; Participant Type: Middle School (5-8), High School (9-12)
Note: Requires space or shelving to dry projects flat for at least half an hour after class, after which they can be stored easily. Some of the paints we use paints are NOT non-toxic (contain metal compounds).
Meditative Watercolor
From simple meditations to creative play, this class offers short explorations that can help you diffuse anger, find calm, outlast sadness, foster creativity, and cultivate joy…building both a positive mindset and painting skills. Short guided meditative skill-builders are followed by suggestions for using watercolor meditations to unleash your creativity. This class is a gentle invitation into the world of watercolor for those new to the medium, and also an excellent way for experienced watercolorists to hit the reset button and return to “beginner’s mind.”
Because this class is built around short, guided meditation modules, it is very flexible. Duration can be customized 1-5 sessions or more, 45 minutes – 2 hours per session.
Participant types: Middle School, High School, Folks with Disabilities, Teens & Young Adults, Adults, Older Adults – General, Older Adults – Assisted Living & Memory Care
Meditative Sketchbook
A series of guided meditations in a sketchbook designed to help improve focus & coordination and encourage a growth mindset.
Duration: 45 min – 2 hours per session, 3-10 sessions; Participant Type: Early Elementary (K-3), Middle School (5-8), High School (9-12), Upper Elementary (4-6), Folks with Disabilities, Teens & Young Adults, Adults, Older Adults – General, Older Adults – Memory Care, Intergenerational, Educators; Participant type customizations: Instructor will choose specific drawing meditations appropriate for the age of the group and give variations to tailor them to individuals.
Watercolor Flowers, Five Ways
A rose is a rose is a rose, but there are many ways to paint one! Explore different artistic styles while practicing observation & drawing skills, and learning color mixing and watercolor techniques, including dry layering and wet-in-wet techniques.
Duration: 5 Sessions 1.5-4 hours each (minimum of 7.5 hours total). Participant Type: Teens & Young Adults, Adults, Older Adults – General, Intergenerational
Workshops
Character Design for Picture Books
Students explore how illustrators bring stories to life through expressive, original characters. Jinjer Markley, a published children’s book illustrator, guides participants in designing a character, learning age‑appropriate facial proportions, and, depending on workshop length, adding emotions or drawing dynamic actions based on short texts.
Duration: 2–4 hours. Participant type: Elementary School, Middle School, High School, Teens & Young Adults, Adults
Meditative Watercolor
From simple meditations to creative play, this class offers short explorations that can help you diffuse anger, find calm, outlast sadness, foster creativity, and cultivate joy…building both a positive mindset and painting skills. It’s a gentle invitation into the world of watercolor for those new to the medium, and also an excellent way for experienced watercolorists to hit the reset button and return to “beginner’s mind.”
Duration: 1-2 hours. Participant type: Middle School, High School, Folks with Disabilities, Teens & Young Adults, Adults, Older Adults – General, Older Adults – Assisted Living & Memory Care
Meditative Sketchbook
A series of guided meditations in a sketchbook designed to help improve focus & coordination and encourage a growth mindset.
Duration: 45 min – 2 hours per session, 1-2 sessions; Participant Type: Early Elementary (K-3), Middle School (5-8), High School (9-12), Upper Elementary (4-6), Folks with Disabilities, Teens & Young Adults, Adults, Older Adults – General, Older Adults – Memory Care, Intergenerational, Educators; Participant type customizations: Instructor will choose specific drawing meditations appropriate for the age of the group and give variations to tailor them to individuals.
Watercolor Flowers
A rose is a rose is a rose, but there are many ways to paint one! Explore different artistic styles while practicing observation & drawing skills, and learning color mixing and watercolor techniques, including dry layering and wet-in-wet techniques.
Duration: 2 Sessions, 1.5-4 hours each. Participant Type: Teens & Young Adults, Adults, Older Adults – General, Intergenerational
Professional Development
Science of Watercolor
What is watercolor? It’s water, pigment, and glue! Learn some basic chemical properties of the ingredients in watercolor, making a sample book to record our discoveries. Then, we use what we’ve learned to make and test a claim about paint mixing! Take what you learn back to your classroom and add this to your curriculum. Duration: Customized to request; Participant Type: Educators
Meditative Sketchbook
A series of guided meditations in a sketchbook designed to help improve focus & coordination and encourage a growth mindset. Duration: 45 min – 2 hour sessions, 1-10 sessions; Participant Type: Educators, Direct Service Workers
Teaching Artist Statement
I teach all of my art classes as a way to coordinate mind, eyes, hands, and heart. Art is a way to observe and experiment with nature and its laws, and an exercise in problem-solving. It is a fine-motor sport, and it is a tool to examine, process & soothe emotional “junk.” Whether I am teaching drawing skills, color theory, or abstract painting, I give students concrete but open-ended assignments to help them cultivate their knowledge and skills while also strengthening their individual voices.
