From "I Can't Draw a Stick Figure"
to Artist — In Your First Painting
A simple, step-by-step painting program for women who never thought they could — and are about to prove themselves wonderfully wrong.
"I hear 'I'm just not creative' from almost every woman who walks through my virtual classroom door. And almost every single one of them finishes their first painting and says the exact same thing: 'I can't believe I made that.'"
— Jen
Hi, I’m Jen!
I've been a professional palette knife artist for over 25 years. I've painted for galleries, collectors, and people who just wanted something beautiful on their wall that meant something.
But the work I'm most proud of has nothing to do with any of that.
It's the moment a woman — who swore up and down she was not creative, had never been creative, would never be creative — finishes her first painting and goes completely quiet.
And then looks up with tears in her eyes and says: "I did that?"
Yes. You did that. And I knew you could before you ever picked up the knife.
That's why I built Let's Dabble. And that's why I created the 30-Day Journey.
Jennifer Vranes
October Fall
Step into a forest that’s on fire—with color! This vibrant palette-knife painting bursts with glowing aspens, fiery reds, and golden yellows that seem to shimmer right off the canvas. Every swipe of paint is bold and full of life—like autumn decided to throw a party and you’re walking straight through the celebration.
Waiting For You
A golden autumn day. A quiet river. A single red canoe resting by the shore — as if waiting for someone who’s far away, whether in distance or in time. The air feels still, the light glows with memory, and the reflection carries a whisper of something familiar. This richly layered palette-knife painting captures that tender space between longing and love that never quite lets go.
Forest Mist
Wander into the hush of a misty morning where the world feels newly awakened. Cool blues and warm russet tones mingle as light drifts through the trees, creating a peaceful, dreamlike path ahead. With its sculpted palette-knife textures, Forest Mist invites you to slow down, breathe deeply, and get lost in the quiet beauty of the woods.
Bungalow at Sunset
A cozy bungalow bathed in the warm glow of sunset, its golden light spilling across the porch and garden. Soft shadows dance on the walls as the sky turns shades of orange and pink, creating a peaceful, picture-perfect moment of calm and beauty.
Desert Gathering
A mesmerizing scene of a desert gathering at dusk golden sands glowing under the fading sun, with people coming together around flickering lanterns and gentle music. The air is warm, the atmosphere vibrant yet serene, celebrating connection beneath an endless, starlit sky.
Sunlit Fall - Rewind
Sunlit Fall – Rewind captures the warmth of autumn light filtering through golden leaves, evoking memories of simpler days. Soft rays illuminate the landscape in amber tones, blending nostalgia and peace a quiet moment to pause, reflect, and embrace the beauty of change.
Here's what nobody tells you about learning to paint.
Most art instruction was not built for you.
It was built for people who already have a foundation. Who already know the vocabulary. Who already believe, somewhere deep down, that they are creative.
So when you try a paint-and-sip and leave with something you'd never hang up — that's not because you can't paint. That's because nobody showed you the right way.
When you go down a YouTube rabbit hole and lose yourself in tutorials that assume too much — that's not your fault. That's a teaching problem, not a talent problem.
The 30-Day Journey was built from scratch for women who are starting at zero. Every lesson builds on the last. Every painting teaches you something new. And the technique I use — palette knife painting with thick acrylic paint — is the most forgiving art form I have ever encountered.
There are no mistakes here. There are only more layers.
Here's what happens in your 30 days.
Five complete paintings. One simple framework. Zero art school required.
Five step-by-step palette knife painting tutorials — start to finish, nothing skipped, nothing assumed
My Sky, Depth & Texture framework — the foundation behind every painting I've ever made
Dark to light, back to front — you'll always know exactly what to paint next
No drawing, no sketching, no getting it perfect before you start — ever
Finish each painting in hours, not days or weeks
Paint scenes people actually want to hang in their homes
Access to a community of women doing this right alongside you — you are never alone here
At 70.
At 79.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
"I never thought in a million years I could do this. Now at 79 years old, I'm still painting up a storm." This is an awesome painting program!I never had any formal art training. I was afraid to even try painting and I had major confidence issues that the 30-Day Journey helped me overcome. I am definitely happy with the results I have seen in my time as a member. If you commit to putting in just 20 minutes a day, this will make a big difference in your artistic skills. I would and do recommend this to any and every one interested in learning to paint or if you're like me and need to take your creativity to the next level.
Sally
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
“I’m so grateful to have found you!” “I’m so grateful today. Our youngest son drove down from Dallas for a week. I painted 4 paintings while he was here for him to take home. Before he left, he said to me, “Mom, did you ever think you’d be a painter?” Never in a million years this side of heaven. I’m so grateful to have found you, Jennifer Vranes.”
Cheryl S.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
“Thank you for sharing your gifts with us!” “Who could have known that Dabbling would become an even greater gift in these trying times? “Being able to escape to my ‘studio’ and paint has become even more vital to my mental health and wellbeing than I ever could have imagined. “Thank you for sharing your gifts with us all something positive to focus on!”
Diana I.
One of my members started at 71. She told me she signed up because her granddaughter dared her to. She sat down at her first class absolutely certain she would be the worst one there.
She wasn't.
She finished her painting, took a photo, and texted it to her family. Her granddaughter called her immediately.
"Grandma. You're an artist."
She's painted over 80 paintings since then. She has a little studio in the corner of her guest room. And every single time I see her in our community, she is glowing.
She almost didn't start because she was afraid it was too late.
Please don't make that same mistake.
At 70.
At 79.
One of my members started at 71. She told me she signed up because her granddaughter dared her to. She sat down at her first class absolutely certain she would be the worst one there.
She wasn't.
She finished her painting, took a photo, and texted it to her family. Her granddaughter called her immediately.
"Grandma. You're an artist."
She's painted over 80 paintings since then. She has a little studio in the corner of her guest room. And every single time I see her in our community, she is glowing.
She almost didn't start because she was afraid it was too late.
Please don't make that same mistake.
October Fall
Step into a forest that’s on fire—with color! This vibrant palette-knife painting bursts with glowing aspens, fiery reds, and golden yellows that seem to shimmer right off the canvas. Every swipe of paint is bold and full of life—like autumn decided to throw a party and you’re walking straight through the celebration.
Waiting For You
A golden autumn day. A quiet river. A single red canoe resting by the shore — as if waiting for someone who’s far away, whether in distance or in time. The air feels still, the light glows with memory, and the reflection carries a whisper of something familiar. This richly layered palette-knife painting captures that tender space between longing and love that never quite lets go.
Forest Mist
Wander into the hush of a misty morning where the world feels newly awakened. Cool blues and warm russet tones mingle as light drifts through the trees, creating a peaceful, dreamlike path ahead. With its sculpted palette-knife textures, Forest Mist invites you to slow down, breathe deeply, and get lost in the quiet beauty of the woods.
Bungalow at Sunset
A cozy bungalow bathed in the warm glow of sunset, its golden light spilling across the porch and garden. Soft shadows dance on the walls as the sky turns shades of orange and pink, creating a peaceful, picture-perfect moment of calm and beauty.
Desert Gathering
A mesmerizing scene of a desert gathering at dusk golden sands glowing under the fading sun, with people coming together around flickering lanterns and gentle music. The air is warm, the atmosphere vibrant yet serene, celebrating connection beneath an endless, starlit sky.
Sunlit Fall - Rewind
Sunlit Fall – Rewind captures the warmth of autumn light filtering through golden leaves, evoking memories of simpler days. Soft rays illuminate the landscape in amber tones, blending nostalgia and peace a quiet moment to pause, reflect, and embrace the beauty of change.
This is about more than painting.
Your hands have been making things your whole life.
They frosted birthday cakes. They braided little girls' hair. They held hands at bedsides. They built a home, a family, a life.
The talent was never missing. It was in those hands the whole time — just waiting for someone to show it a new way to come out.
Palette knife painting is that new way.
When you finish your first painting and your daughter asks to hang it in her home — that's your legacy. When your grandchildren look at something on a wall someday and someone says "your grandmother made that" — that's your legacy.
You stop being invisible. You stop being the woman who always meant to try. You become the artist in your family. The one who left something beautiful behind.
That is what the 30-Day Journey is really for.
THIS METHOD IS FOR YOU IF...
But what if I really, truly cannot do this?
I hear this every single day.
And every single day, the woman who said it finishes a painting that surprises even her.
Here is what I know about palette knife painting that most people don't: it is uniquely, almost unfairly forgiving. You are not drawing fine lines.
You are not getting proportions perfect before you can move forward. You are layering thick, beautiful paint with a flexible knife — and every layer covers the one before it.
There is no blank canvas terror here. You will always know exactly what to do next because I will be right there showing you.
You do not need to draw. You do not need experience. You do not need to believe you are creative — because by the end of your first painting, that belief will take care of itself.
The only thing standing between you and your first painting is the decision to start.
Everything inside the 30-Day Journey
Five complete step-by-step palette knife painting tutorials
The Sky, Depth & Texture framework — Jen's signature painting method
Lifetime access — paint at your own pace, come back anytime
No drawing required — not once, not ever
A community of women on the same journey — you are never painting alone
Your first step on the DabbleJourney to 100 paintings
After completing your 30 days, you'll receive your first Dabbler apron and pin — the official start of your journey to 100 paintings.
October Fall
Step into a forest that’s on fire—with color! This vibrant palette-knife painting bursts with glowing aspens, fiery reds, and golden yellows that seem to shimmer right off the canvas. Every swipe of paint is bold and full of life—like autumn decided to throw a party and you’re walking straight through the celebration.
Waiting For You
A golden autumn day. A quiet river. A single red canoe resting by the shore — as if waiting for someone who’s far away, whether in distance or in time. The air feels still, the light glows with memory, and the reflection carries a whisper of something familiar. This richly layered palette-knife painting captures that tender space between longing and love that never quite lets go.
Forest Mist
Wander into the hush of a misty morning where the world feels newly awakened. Cool blues and warm russet tones mingle as light drifts through the trees, creating a peaceful, dreamlike path ahead. With its sculpted palette-knife textures, Forest Mist invites you to slow down, breathe deeply, and get lost in the quiet beauty of the woods.
Bungalow at Sunset
A cozy bungalow bathed in the warm glow of sunset, its golden light spilling across the porch and garden. Soft shadows dance on the walls as the sky turns shades of orange and pink, creating a peaceful, picture-perfect moment of calm and beauty.
Desert Gathering
A mesmerizing scene of a desert gathering at dusk golden sands glowing under the fading sun, with people coming together around flickering lanterns and gentle music. The air is warm, the atmosphere vibrant yet serene, celebrating connection beneath an endless, starlit sky.
Sunlit Fall - Rewind
Sunlit Fall – Rewind captures the warmth of autumn light filtering through golden leaves, evoking memories of simpler days. Soft rays illuminate the landscape in amber tones, blending nostalgia and peace a quiet moment to pause, reflect, and embrace the beauty of change.
THIS METHOD IS FOR YOU IF...
Join the 30-Day Journey
$99
"I've had women start at 65, 70, even 79. The best time to start was years ago. The second best time is right now."
Your hands have been making beautiful things your whole life. This is just the next one.
You have spent years taking care of everything and everyone else.
You have been patient. You have been generous. You have put yourself last so many times you stopped counting.
This is yours.
Twenty minutes a day. Five paintings in thirty days. One woman — you — finding out what she was capable of all along.
Come paint with us.
