Merry Christmas, from my house to yours!

As 2012 winds down to a close, I wanted to take some time to wish everyone a warm and peaceful Christmas season. Thank you for taking the time to read my ramblings 🙂 I often write a family Christmas letter, filled with a summary of family news, and it never really seems quite right to catalog my art activity during the year in a Christmas letter. But people often ask me: “Are you still painting?”

This year I decided to take Alyson Stanfield’s  (ArtBizBlog)  suggestion to review the year’s accomplishments. Check out her post at the above link for a handy list of questions!

I love the quote below… It’s true we often fail to take into account how much we accomplish! My blog was a huge help in compiling this list. Art Is Truth was a virtual journal for me; and it made me realize what a valuable record-keeping tool it is!

I can’t really imagine that any creative artist wakes up and feels, “How good I am!” and “look how far I have come!” because you know yourself to be up against your limitations.   –Elizabeth Hardwick, writer

Over the course of the year I have:

• written 75 blog posts
• participated in two invitational shows
• been juried into three competitive exhibitions
• delivered new work to 2 galleries
• entered over 20 juried shows
• developed a new logo
• created a demonstration video to promote my classes
• done a guest blog post on a mentor’s website: Thanks Judy Wise!!
• gained 93 new ‘Likes’ on my Facebook Page
• exhibited in Salem, Dundee, Astoria, Portland, Welches, Florence, Lake Oswego, Moorhead Minnesota, and Paso Robles California
• been featured as one of Donna Zagotta’s “Top 15 Blogs to Watch“
• improved my photoshop skills
• juried a local art show
• visited over 20 different art museums and galleries in Phoenix, Sedona, New York City and Washington D.C.
• traveled to the Western Federation of Watercolor Societies in Las Vegas, NV to represent Oregon
• received the Top Award in the Central Coast Watercolor Society in Paso Robles California
• received an Achievement Award in the Watercolor Society of Oregon‘s fall show
• worked on the Board of Directors for the Watercolor Society of Oregon and Western Federation of Watercolor Societies
• taught four watercolor workshops
• took workshops from Skip Lawrence and Randall David Tipton
• begun a new adventure with oil painting
• begun a new adventure with painting on location

On a personal level I did a few new things too:

• hatched a brood of baby chicks with a ‘broody hen’
• planted a huge number of new plants in the garden
• bred my sheep to plan for lambs in the spring
• hosted some fun parties with art buddies and family friends
• traveled to NYC, Arizona and Washington D.C.
• watched two daughters graduate from college
• planned my mother’s 80th birthday party
• made new art buddies

I am hoping to fill 2013 with an even longer list. Do you list your biggest accomplishments for the year?