As we approach the end of the year, I can’t help but look back on the past 12 months and reflect on everything that’s happened. It’s been a rollercoaster ride, with all kinds of challenges and successes, both big and small. Looking at this year in review, there have been moments that have left me feeling elated, and others that have been tough to navigate, but each one has taught me something valuable. In this blog post, I want to take you on a journey through my year in review, sharing all the highlights, the lessons learned, and the memories. So, sit back, grab a cup of your favorite beverage, and let’s take a stroll down memory lane together!
Spring
Let’s start at the start of the year! January and February are a slow, recuperation time for me. After the madness that is the holidays and the back-to-back collections of Halloween and Christmas, I need a break. I try to separate from the business a bit and just create what I want to. Make sure the creative juices are drying up! But soon comes March, and with it our Spring Collection.
Spring is a season of renewal and growth, and what better way to celebrate it than by painting beautiful spring flowers? Painting flowers always cheer me up in springtime. Living in Iowa, the season isn’t all that warm or pretty, so I must make my own beauty. This year’s collection of paintings came out interesting. Looking back it was quite as cohesive and polished as I’d like. I wanted to try out a lot of ideas, some of which worked great and others needed more improvement. Going forward I do want to return to strong color themes and focus on the flowers.
Summer
As summer rolled in, life got busy. I visited family out of state and was able to go to a few events as well. It was so fun, and a welcome break. During this time, I began exploring competitions and exhibits as well. I’m starting to apply to more exhibits and, was able to get into my first one during this time! The AVA Harvest Exhibition took place in August in Wyoming. It was a beautiful exhibit highlighting the theme: Harvest in all its forms. I was honored to take part and mark off an accomplishment!
Fall
Now we roll into Fall and my favorite time: Halloween! I had so much fun creating this years’ collection. I put a lot of time, research, and love into the art. The new stained glass style was really fun to try out and experiment with. And I learned a lot on the marketing side with this collection. I’m working to get better at posting and talking with you guys, and felt I was really able to share a lot with this collection.
Additionally, I am helping my family move currently. Much of my fall has been spent completing home improvement projects like replacing flooring, painting rooms, repairing a deck, etc. It was great working on the house though! I love being hands-on and was able to learn so many handy skills from my dad. I wouldn’t change it, but know it did affect my Christmas collection. Between housework and the Halloween collection, I didn’t leave myself much time for creating Christmas art. Going forward I’ll definitely have to plan out my holidays a little better.
But, I did have my second exhibition to take part in! In November the Putnam Museum in Iowa opened the exhibit Tails for Tales which I took part in. They commissioned artists to create new art based on children’s animal stories. I was so happy with my painting and the exhibit was beautiful. It will be up until May 2024 too!
Conclusion
As the year comes to a close, I can’t help but feel grateful for all the experiences and opportunities that came my way. Looking at this year in review, it was busy with its fair share of challenges and successes, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. From taking a break in January and February to exploring competitions and exhibits in the summer to creating a stunning Halloween collection and participating in two exhibitions, it’s been a year of growth and learning
As we approach the end of the year, I want to thank you for joining me on this journey. Your support and encouragement mean the world to me, and I couldn’t have done it without you. I hope that my year in review has inspired you to reflect on your own experiences and to appreciate the lessons learned along the way.
in the life