Happy New Year! If you know me you already know the loss endured by my family in 2022, and while that really does define how I will remember the year, it has still been a year worth celebrating. Like every year, there were adventures, successes, failures, gifts, and lessons learned, they are just in much sharper relief in the context of such great loss. When I think of what truly great and caring friends and family I have in this life, I will also think of this year especially. Thank you to all who reached out in support, love, condolences, and friendship. It means more than you know.
I am sure if I really thought about it I could come up with some regrets, but thankfully not when it comes to the big stuff. Several times this year I lamented that I was not spending enough time in my studio and I was not painting enough, but really the year was just front-loaded with all those paintings for Kate Durran and her concerts in the U.K. I stayed for a few hours of figure drawing for most weeks after teaching my classes and I now have a huge stack of drawings and paintings of beautiful models of all shapes and sizes. And when I wanted and needed to be with my family the second half of the year, it was just where I needed to be and it was as simple as that.
I will say that grief and exhaustion do cause inspiration to take leave, and I am starting to feel some stirrings and indications that it is returning soon. I can hardly regret that. It is now how I understand the ebb and flow of life and cycles of creativity.
I did manage to get a few other paintings finished this year, and these two are my favorites of the bunch. The first one because I just love this little tiger. It was also the Year of the Tiger, so it is fitting. As long as he leaves the bird alone.
And the second one because it was a painting I started in May of 2020 and so it represents how I went through the entire experience of covid from a creative point of view and seeking comfort and solace. It did take all of two years plus a few months, with several pauses, to finish. There are so many layers on it that it feels unnaturally heavy, which is the opposite of its final appearance.
There were lessons learned, like what a mistake it was to put off for two years fixing busted boards in our deck – and boy did I learn that lesson hard. I literally fell on my face, which was very painful and also one of the most cringey things I have ever done. But now we have a beautiful new deck built by the hands of a good friend and tennis coach. What a gift.
There were a few other mistakes, not quite as cringey, but I will keep those to myself.
I am so grateful for the women (and men) I play tennis with almost every week, and for tennis itself. It has become a sport I truly love.
I love that our neurotic and antisocial cat Mango still comes and gives me neck hugs every night right after I climb into bed, and that we have a goofy kitten named Frankie who is bringing her out of her shell.
I am grateful that my husband loves to cook really good food, and that he loves to share it with people. I am grateful to him for a lot of other things, too, especially this year, but I’ll stick with his cooking for this post.
I have endless gratitude for the people who take my classes and have taken them over the years, many of whom are now friends I cherish. Also the women I have been in a critique group with since 2014! We have seen each other through some major life events, good and bad, endless peaks and valleys of creativity and encouragement, and we have forged a unique trust and bond I am so lucky to have experienced for several years now. We hope to have another group show in 2023, by the way, so I will keep you posted if we can make that happen.
And speaking of art classes, my Winter 1 Session of mixed media classes on Tuesdays and Saturdays are definitely running, starting January 10, at the Oak Park Art League, and they are filling up (especially the Saturday one) if you want to register here. 2023 will mark the tenth year since I taught my first workshop there in November of 2013.
Warm wishes to you for a happy, healthy and creative 2023, and a reflection on this past year that also includes an abundance of gratitude for so many reasons that are meaningful to you. This is a card from my mom’s hometown of Scalloway, Shetland Isles, from one of her aunts in 1930, years before mom was even born! It was discovered a few months ago and has such a lovely message and delicate and strangely beautiful design:
