Curiosity is the quiet fuel behind every creative life. It’s what nudges us toward a new color, a new idea, a braver way of expressing what’s been stirring beneath the surface. It’s also the heartbeat of the Winter 2026 issue of The Turquoise Iris Journal.
This winter volume invites you to lean in again. Toward wonder. Toward color. Toward possibility.
A Word From Dionne: Curiosity as Creative Lifeline
In her opening Heart Talk, Dionne Woods reminds us that curiosity is not something we outgrow. It’s something we practice.
When curiosity fades, so does momentum. Our art flattens. Our motivation dims. We begin to play it safe. But curiosity asks different questions. What if there’s more? What if I try that color? What if I listen a little closer?
Chosen as the guiding word for this winter volume, Curiosity becomes an antidote to apathy and a call back to motion. Dionne invites readers to stretch that childlike urge to explore, to reconnect with wonder, and to trust the quiet pull toward something new.
This season’s focus color, cobalt blue, reflects that spirit perfectly. Deep and daring. Peaceful yet electric. A reminder that boldness and calm can exist side by side.
Winter Curators: A Fellowship of Creative Voices
Each issue of The Turquoise Iris Journal is shaped by a thoughtfully selected group of curators. This winter’s fellowship brings together artists, storytellers, teachers, and guides who each approach curiosity through their own lived experience.
Porsha Chalmers
Multi-Passionate Art & Storytelling
Porsha’s work is sparked by stories and memories. Whether through fabric, stitch, or fray, her art holds beauty in the details and meaning in the telling. Learn more about Porsha and follow on Instagram @thesilverbohemian
Kimberly Conrad
Art, Teaching, Writing & Certified Master Life Coaching
Through coaching and workshops, Kimberly empowers women to reconnect with their creative spark, cultivate self-love, and live with joy, power, and authenticity. Learn more about Kimberly and follow on Instagram @thesplendidlifestudio
Andie Hamilton
Paintings & Photography
After years behind the camera, Andie discovered painting as a new way to tell stories. Her work conveys emotion, movement, and color with intuitive depth. Learn more about Andie and follow on Instagram @andieincolor
Danielle Kaminski
Handmade Products & Small Business Strategy
Danielle blends creativity and connection, guiding others as they build meaningful work and sustainable businesses rooted in purpose. Learn more about Danielle and follow on Instagram @danielleskaminski
BJ Massa
Furniture Painting & Décor
With a life shaped by travel and curiosity, BJ’s art reflects humility, humor, and an unconventional spirit that shines through every piece. Learn more about BJ and follow on Instagram @junkdup
Kim White
Multi-Media Art
From Australia to the Swiss Alps, Kim’s adventurous creativity shows up in expressive color palettes, playful patterns, and abstract realist work. Learn more about Kim and follow on Facebook at KimWhite.Art
Renee Smith
Giclée Prints, Furniture & Canvas Art
A nurturing creative force, Renee’s work reflects heart, imagination, and soulful expression across every medium she touches. Learn more about Renee and follow on Instagram @rainy.day.vintage
Together, these curators shape conversations, reflections, and creative explorations that anchor the Journal’s theme.
Contributors & Featured Stories in the Winter 2026 Issue
The Winter 2026 issue of The Turquoise Iris Journal brings together artists whose work is shaped by curiosity — curiosity about color, process, faith, heritage, texture, and the stories hidden within everyday life. Each contributor offers a unique expression of what it means to stay open, exploratory, and brave in their creative practice.
Elizabeth A. Pituch
Expressions of Beauty & Color
Elizabeth is an abstract artist whose lifelong curiosity began in childhood and evolved into a deeply refined exploration of color, environment, and beauty. With formal training in painting and sculpture and a career that includes exhibitions across the Northeast, Elizabeth’s work reflects both discipline and wonder. In this issue, her contribution invites readers to consider how curiosity shapes not only what we create but how we experience the spaces around us. Follow Elizabeth on Instagram @stoneflowerdesignstudios.
Jenny Grant
Unstructured. Tactile. Magical.
Based in Stockholm, Sweden, Jenny Grant is a mixed media artist who believes creativity comes alive through process, mess, and movement. Her work is intentionally unstructured, tactile, and intuitive — a direct reflection of her belief that curiosity is unlocked by doing, not overthinking. Through workshops, retreats, and her Café Flow art membership, Jenny empowers others to embrace brave, joyful creativity. Follow Jenny on Instagram: @flowbyjenny.
Kelly Huskins
Wild Heart. Creative Life.
Kelly (Kimball) Huskins is the creative force behind Whimsykel, a brand rooted in storytelling, color, and imagination. Her artistic journey has spanned music, furniture, surface design, and mixed media, always guided by the question, What if? Kelly’s work celebrates curiosity as a catalyst for transformation, inviting others to trust their instincts and find beauty in imperfection. Follow Kelly on Instagram: @whimsykel
Marlene Steele
Visions of Hope
Based at Front Street in Dayton, Ohio, Marlene Steele creates bold, faith-filled work layered with texture, movement, and meaning. Her intuitive process transforms salvaged and forgotten materials into expressions of hope and renewal. Through her art and open studio practice, Marlene invites others to play, explore, and trust the quiet voice guiding their creativity. Follow on Instagram: @mycolorstrokes
Casey Alvarez
Rooted in Creativity
Casey Alvarez is a Missouri Ozarks–based artist whose curiosity is fueled by faith, color, and farm life. Known for painting European-style armoires and large furniture pieces, Casey believes creativity lifts the spirit and opens new possibilities. As both an artist and mentor, she empowers women to turn their creative passions into sustainable, joy-filled careers. Follow Casey on Instagram: @paintwithcasey
Rita Reade
Heritage & Heart. Practicality & Purpose.
Born and raised in Italy and now based in Southern California, Rita Reade — known as Mammabellarte — brings heritage, craftsmanship, and imagination together through her art. A full-time artist and soldering teacher since 2008, Rita’s work honors the past while inviting playful exploration. Her contribution reflects how curiosity bridges tradition and innovation. Follow Rita on Instagram: @mammabellarte
A Note from Dionne
Dionne especially loves the reflections shared by the curators in the Sitting with Your 10-Year-Old Self section of this issue. Their words offer a tender reminder of where curiosity first took root — and how listening to that younger voice can gently guide us back to wonder, courage, and creative freedom.
Featured Stories & Creative Explorations
This winter volume is rich with stories of artists who followed curiosity into places unknown.
Dionne’s cover story, Curious Plot Twist: Creating Mini Masterpieces on Found Ephemera, invites readers into a playful, unexpected creative process. Additional featured creatives explore beauty, heritage, tactile expression, hope, and the courage it takes to build a creative life rooted in wonder.
The issue also includes curator roundtable talks centered on curiosity in motion. From Wonders Never Cease to Ideas in Motion, these conversations reflect what happens when artists give themselves permission to ask, explore, and evolve.
An Invitation to Stay Curious
This Winter 2026 issue of The Turquoise Iris Journal is a celebration of curiosity as a muscle worth stretching. A reminder that creativity doesn’t require certainty, only willingness.
As you turn these pages, may you feel yourself leaning in again. Toward color. Toward wonder. Toward the quiet courage that curiosity awakens.
Stay curious.Â
