thank you, sir...may I have another?

It's New Year's Eve, and the natural thing to do today is to reflect on the year we'll be ushering out in a few hours and to set intentions for the year we'll be welcoming in at midnight. I don't know about you, but 2014 has been very, very good to me. I've been blessed with good health, lots of love, great friends, and a wonderful family. My art was on display somewhere every month, making this the fifth year in a row I've reached that goal. I joined Curtis Creative Spaces and donated a tiny painting to a raffle supporting Curtis Memorial Library; I also donated a tiny painting to the Portland Public Schools Multilingual & Multicultural Center's "Rock Around The World" event. I painted a chair for the UU Church of Brunswick's "Chair-ity" Auction benefitting The Oasis Clinic and MidCoast Hunger Prevention. I painted faces at the "Scoop-A-Thon" for People Plus and the Brunswick Teen Center. I facilitated a painting workshop at Maine Behavioral Healthcare, and I designed a tattoo based on my "Weathervane, Bowdoin College" painting for Matt Dyer, who survived a polar bear attack. My work made the paper three times (The Cryer, The Coastal Journal, and Portland Press Herald/Maine Sunday Telegram). The Coastal Youth Orchestra used "Retro Tree" as the cover for their winter concert program, and "Polar Bear, Bowdoin College" was on the Brunswick Second Friday Art Walk poster in July. I've sold a bunch of magnets, several prints, a handful of holiday note cards, some ornaments, a few mixed media pieces, and eleven paintings! Hey, just like Spinal Tap: I can say 2014 went up to eleven!

I am so, so grateful for everyone who has been supportive of me this year. Thank you for buying my work (no matter what form it's taken), thank you for coming to my shows, thank you for giving me kind words of support and encouragement, thank you for believing in me. It is an honor and a privilege, and I hold you in my heart every single day. I am grateful for the many blessings I've received, and I'm grateful for the many blessings that are on their way. Thank you, 2014. You kicked ass. Welcome, 2015...let's make things awesome.