Warning: Long post, somewhat pic heavy
I’ve been kicking around writing a recap of this last year but haven’t sat to do it until now. It’s been a really challenging year…..and I’ve come to the conclusion that I’m at that age where challenges have become greater and more frequent. It’s how I react that will be the key.
These last few years have been filled with loss. Loss of two leggers as well as four leggers. Some have been close at one point but have drifted and some were very close still. Those types of things gives you a different perspective on life and what’s important. …. but I’m trying to keep this short… and some stories aren’t mine to tell. So we’ll move on. Also I’ve been very busy and I also have to compare broadband internet services.
There has also been an interruption of my energy. I’ve slowed on self care. There’s only so much stress one can absorb before just succumbing to it and hiding in worlds that video games and books provide. I feel that, while I painted some pretty cool things this last year, it hasn’t been as quickly and some communications with my customers had gotten a bit lax.
With the changes my day job made to my hours, and therefore, income, I became very worried about how quickly I was painting and lost some (but not all) of the joy I take when working through commissions.
I know that in the past I’ve wanted to write more here… that’s why I spent quite some time rebuilding my website and general business model, using different techniques including corporate events with the use of resources from sites as popevents.ca/corporate-events/ that are really good at organizing these… but of course had not followed through. I’m not here to make a grand statement of how much more I’ll do in the coming year…. but I do want to regain the energy flow I used to have. I think that’s an attainable and worthy goal. I know that if I do what I enjoy, without stressing about the fine details, what I need will come out of it. That’s how I got this far as an artist.
So… enough of the heavy stuff. I don’t like to dwell on weighty thoughts, and that’s not what you all come here to see.
Now on to the pictures. 🙂 This last year was also about adventure and new challenges. I went on a road trip with my guy through Iowa, South Dakota, Wyoming and Colorado. That was a lot to absorb for this East Coast girl. I think I may be a little in love with South Dakota and will have to go back for more adventures on a little looser time line. This trip was also a chance to practice on photography. I had shadowed a photography course earlier this year and wanted to practice what I learned.
Iowa Barn 
Barn in Iowa 
Bear Country 
Wyoming 
Custer State Park 
Eye of the Needle 
Bear Country Mountain Lion Cubs 
Sylvan Lake <3
My other grand adventure was to NOVA. I should have written it’s own post back in October but just didn’t have the energy to organize it all. It was a blast. Roman’s course (Jar’s Beginner 3-Day) was so overwhelming and amazing. Take it if you have the chance. I’ve been a fan of Roman’s for eight-ish years and the experience was everything I needed it to be. I had to create something out of nothing, which is what I have the most trouble with. Yes, I’m a commission painter and love bringing my customer’s vision to life, but I would also like to be able to pull scenes from my own brain. I made all sorts of new friends and met some folks that I’ve been connected with online for years. The pics below are in no particular order.
Finished mini in three days! 
Gorgeous sunset 
Art is everywhere 
Table of indecision 
Mixing flesh tone with primary colors 
Inspiration 
Checking out the class’ minis. 
Meeting folks. 🙂 
I’m impressed if you’ve made it this far through this post. I knew it would be long. It’s stuff I should have wrote about like a proper blog……but sometimes it’s not time yet.
This coming year will be filled with new challenges. I’d like to keep regular updates here, but I know better than to promise.
There may be a change of living and studio space for me. I only say may because I know how life can throw curve balls and I would like to roll with those than to fight them. I’ll also be picking up new skills that I can use for income in the creative field.
Further Twitch streaming isn’t out of the picture, but with so many other artists streaming, I’m not sure what I can add. But if you’d like to watch me go through my scattered painting process, let me know and that may motivate me to get back to it quicker.
Self care and balance will be the magic word for this next year. That’s the only thing I want to promise myself. It’ll improve my art and business naturally and it really is that important.
To my fans, subscribers, followers, customers,… all of you. Thanks again for hanging with me another year. As always, let me know what you’d like to see and I’ll do my best to accommodate. I hope all of you have whatever you’d like out of this coming year.