Jodi Ohl is a contemporary artist, author, and instructor celebrated for her vibrant abstract and whimsical mixed-media creations. After leaving a career in banking in 2011, she dedicated herself fully to art, building a reputation for her bold use of color and intuitive, experimental techniques. Based in Aberdeen, NC, Jodi works from her home studio and travels extensively to lead workshops and retreats, inspiring students to embrace creativity and explore the possibilities of abstract art.

Her work has been showcased in galleries, exhibitions, and publications and is sought after by collectors worldwide. Jodi’s first book, Abstracts in Acrylic and Ink, is a best-seller, and she is currently developing a follow-up book, set for release in 2025. Through her art and teaching, Jodi encourages others to find their voice and joy in the creative process.

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What does Art is Magic mean to you?

Art is Magic is a feeling you get when you create. Art can take you away to magical places in your head and heart. It can transform your life as well as save it. The power of creativity is healing and it is empowering. Seeing what you can do with an idea that sparks in your head and to watch it evolve into a painting, drawing, or some other physical item is transformative. Once you open up and let your intuition guide you, anything is possible.

Why do you create art?

When I first found art again later in life, I created solely for myself and my peace of mind. It was a form of therapy that helped me through a difficult time. Slowly that evolved into a mission to help other women who were in their midlife facing pivotal points in their life and career who also needed that creative outlet to channel their thoughts and emotions through. That desire to empower and help others led me to teaching art and the quest to always find new ways to improve in my own practice and pass that on to my students. The extra bonus has also been selling my work and spreading beauty and color into to the world through my physical art as well as my teaching.

What is currently inspiring you?

I’m on a quest to really level up my art by that I mean improve my composition, try more complex ways of creating my abstract work especially, but also discovering how to do so with more intuitive and loose moves. I like structure and form but I get fired up by emotional marks and movement in a painting so I’m driven lately to find more ways to stretch my wings and grow.

What does your creative Practice look like?

I try to get into my studio 4-5 days a week (if not more) for at least 2-4 hours. Normally after I wake up with some coffee, I dive into the studio and work on a collection of piece I have going. Often, I have several pieces going at the same time which keeps me open to ideas and less tied to an outcome of one piece. I create on multiple pieces until I get closer to finishing each one or more and then I dedicate my full attention to all the details that really make an individual piece shine. If I’m working just a half a day in the studio, I spend the other portion of the day on the business end of my art, doing tasks such as photographing pieces, editing, writing newsletters, articles, updating my website, answering questions from classes or customers, you get the picture. If you want to have a thriving art business, it’s vital you pay attention to those types of things. People don’t generally come to you; you have to go to where your people are. You also have to nurture your business and treat it like any other small business, which is hard for many artists. I left my day job back in 2011 and was a single mom at the time with young sons. I had to make the business work if I wanted to keep doing what I love and take care of my family. Here I am in 2025 so things have worked out so far!

What do you wish you had known at the beginning of your creative journey?

I wish I had valued my work more and not feel bad about selling my work and actually exchanging money for it. I undervalued my work for many years, and I just couldn’t keep up or get ahead. There’s a lot of emotions that come with selling your work and coming from a business background, I didn’t really have a problem with releasing my work, but asking for a fair price was a different story. Getting some advice from a business coach and an artist friend put things into perspective for me, especially as the quality of my work improved.

The other thing that I did know as I was a musician for many years was that practice is more important than talent. I wish more artists, especially beginners would heed this advice and not compare themselves to others. Don’t be afraid to put in the work. You can do anything you set your mind to! Having spent so much of my childhood and free time practicing my instrument, putting in that same type of concentrated effort came naturally to me, but for many, they give up to soon or look down upon themselves if they aren’t on par with someone else who has a lot more experience then they do. Compare yourself to who you were yesterday, last year, 5 years ago. That tells your story more truthfully than comparing it to another artist who has been doing what they are doing for far longer than you have been. Never give up!