Team Category: Instructors

Hello and ALOHA!
I’m pleased to introduce myself to you! My name is Heidi Endress and I have an extensive background in the visual arts as a teacher, mentor, coach, and therapeutic arts program director and facilitator.  I live with passion and with the aloha spirit and vibes.  I love all that life on this planet gives us, I have a deep respect for nature and it’s beauty,,, and a deep desire to serve others.

My AA Degree is in Commercial Art, as early on, I had a passion for creating unique ways to express thoughts, ideas, emotions, and a true passion for the visual gifts that attach themselves to visual art.  I have an extensive knowledge of art history, as well.

For the past 35 years, I’ve been blessed to be an Elementary Educator, teaching classes ranging from Pre-K through 5th grade, and excelling in ART for the past 9 years.  I have been the Art Director for an Elementary school for the last 9 years, worked as an art teacher at the Alliance for the Arts during their amazing summer camp, and have been a traveling Art Director for an outstanding company known globally.  I have also been blessed with coaching high school students in sports, helping them conquer the mental game, as well as the physical.

On my own time, I have my own Therapeutic Art Life Coaching business. (Art Waves of Positive Energy) I truly believe that art is healing…for anything and everything. Combining art with techniques and strategies that improve our wellness is a fabulous way to balance things in our lives.
I hold private art / craft sessions and painting lessons for adults, teens, and Elementary ages. When I have some quiet time, you’ll find me painting ocean, landscape, and abstract art, enjoying therapeutic art techniques, and brainstorming fun, new, and unique ways to implement them in my practice.

Art is a vital way to express our dreams, goals,, and is a beautiful and constructive way to release emotions, both positive and on the challenging side.  Art is a natural remedy for happiness, calmness, and assists our mind and physical bodies in being centered and at peace in the moment.  It’s a perfect way to reflect inner growth, self-esteem and awareness, and self-love.  Art is a perfect way to celebrate similarities, to see diversity among one another, and it’s a beautiful way to build social skills, collaborations, and friendships.

I am a true believer that art can change moods, thoughts, and our life.  On the professional side of art, besides being a certified Therapeutic Art Life Coach, I proudly hold a Florida Educator’s Teaching Certificate for K-12 Art and teaching K-6. Meeting the needs of all my students and clients in their life events with color & creative expression is what I strive for during each session. I firmly believe when we blend art into our world, it creates harmony on so many different levels. Peace and harmony can reflect in our masterpiece at hand, quite like life does to the heart and soul.  We can capture moments that quiet the mind, ease the burdens and worries, and produces positive projects.

I also have social platforms to enhance every day life events, challenges, and celebrations with shared experience, a joy for living on the positive side, and seeing life as endless opportunities to enhance each day with growth, renewal, and vibrant avenues to stretch the thinking and the creative side of life.  Check out Waves of Positive Energy on Instagram, FaceBook, Threads, and Tik Tok. (Art Waves of Positive Energy is on Facebook and Instagram) I upload clips daily to the life coaching pages to enhance the good vibes for your

A little about me- Most importantly I am a wife and mother. Something I truly found meaning in life through creating my small family. For the past 16+ years I have been working in the product design + Product development world. I have had the pleasure to work with some of the
top global retailers. I designed products for brands such as Martha Stewart, JoAnns, Michaels, Target, Paper Source, Walmart, Eddie Bauer and many more. I have traveled for both business and pleasure throughout Asia, Europe, and through Central and South America collecting
inspiration and culture along the way. I have a deep love for the ocean. When I touched my toes to Sanibel’s soft powdery sand, I was in love. The shoreline filled with the most beautiful seashells stole my heart. My family and I spend long hours shelling for treasures along the
shorelines. Treasures you will use to finish your Mermaid’s Wish keepsakes. I look forward to our class together, and sharing bit more about these beautiful and one of a kind Mermaid’s Wishes.

Johnny is an experienced AI art teacher with a profound passion for integrating technology and creativity. With 25 years of experience in both art and technology, Johnny has cultivated a unique skill set that bridges traditional artistic practices with cutting-edge AI technologies.

Beginning their journey with Stable Diffusion in Python code, Johnny has since become adept in using various AI art tools, with a current focus on MidJourney. Their extensive background includes not only digital art but also painting, drawing, and writing, reflecting a lifelong dedication to the arts. Additionally, Johnny has played guitar since the age of 13, showcasing a broad artistic range.

A lifelong coder, Johnny attended a trade school for software engineering, solidifying a strong technical foundation that complements their artistic pursuits. This blend of skills underscores their belief in the transformative power of AI technology. They are passionate about how AI can empower individuals to bring their creative visions to life without the need for traditional skills.

Johnny is committed to teaching others how to harness the potential of AI art, fostering an environment where imagination and technology converge to unlock limitless creative possibilities.