First blog post of 2023. A year full of hope and new possibilities.
I hope you all had a restful break. I had a whole week off work. Which meant time to see and catch up with family, and more time to paint. Double bonus! The tree was down and decorations packed away before New Year’s Eve which is my norm. That meant I could welcome in 2023 afresh with a de-cluttered house.
New Year Planning
So plans for 2023? I had high hopes of having completed my 2023 planning. I did manage to complete my review of 2022 and have the bare bones of a plan for the next 12 months. But have a bit more work to do. I’m saving it for my next business trip later this month. That involves a couple of four hour train journeys and evenings in the hotel. I am toying with a few different ideas for projects and series of paintings.
My plan was to start immediately over Christmas. That way I’d have a project underway by 1st January. But I am still creating work for an art fair in March, so have a few paintings to finish off. A couple of my Beach Life series are still available so I have decided to take those along to the fair. But as most have sold I thought I’d create a couple more in the series in some different sizes. I’ve opted for a couple of 20 x 20cm squares which will offer someone a little burst of colour!
Also,I had an urge to revisit some still life paintings. These weren’t on my initial ideas list – so a bit of swerve ball. So far I’ve filled several spreads in my sketchbook with thumbnail layouts and sketches. And gessoed a load of canvases and boards.
My plan is to make a start on a new series – ‘An Ordinary Life‘. I’ve been sketching various items that I have an home. From radios to kitchen equipment and ingredients. So this will keep me occupied for the next few weeks.
New Year, New Challenge
I also thought I’d kick start the year with an Instagram Challenge. This one was set by Tara Leaver. She is an artist, teacher and creator of the Happy Artist Studio. It’s an easy start to the new year. 21 prompts to get you thinking and to add a bit of diversity to your Instagram feed. It also allows you to keep posting whilst you’re in the early stages of painting.
I do like a IG challenge. It provides a bit of structure and direction when you’re out of ideas. And the big plus on social media is that it opens you up to new accounts. Both to follow and who might be interested in following you. Most challenges come with specific hashtags, this one if #21daysinmyartworldchallenge. If you follow the tag you get to see the work of a load of artists you may not have previously discovered.
All Best for 2023
So just a short update from me today. Wishing you all the best for 2023!