Looking back at 2013 and forward to 2014

Beginning 2013

This year has been a challenging year, but it has also been full of blessings in many different ways. Our family had some personal challenges that were hard to work through, but with support from family and friends, it has helped me to get through them.  I found a new good friend who has helped me out in so many ways, that I want to thank her for her support and friendship.  It was a blessing to find a new friend, at this stage of my life, that I can trust and enjoy spending time with.  At the same time, you should keep your friends close, because you never know when they may be gone...or come close to it.  So, keep in touch with your friends...old and new.  Thank you to my friend, you know who you are.  (Kat)  And to my oldest friends from Pine Bluff, you are a blessing to me as well! Love you all!

Ending 2013

It has been a blessing to stay very busy with my art in 2013. Thank you to everyone who has supported me by being a customer or just encouraging me in whatever I do.  I really enjoy doing this full time. I am doing what I love to do.  In 2014, I plan to make some changes. I want to SIMPLIFY my life. I have been moving towards this for awhile. I am de-cluttering my space and now I need to refocus my art.  I have been all over the place with subject and media, but I have decided to start out the new year with a 30 day challenge.  It is a 30 paintings in 30 days challenge for January.  I hope that this challenge will help me to focus more on what I want to do.  So be watching for painting challenge photos.

Some of the commissions that I worked on this year include, the Snow House at the beginning of 2013. And one of my Christmas commissions was a cute little Yorkie named Khloe. She is a little cutie patootie! Looks like she may be a little spoiled, just like my little pup! This drawing was done with pen and ink.   I've done many others with color, including watercolor, colored pencil, and acrylics throughout the year and hopefully, more in 2014...so I'm looking forward to 2014 to see what it brings.  

Happy New Year!
Beth♥

The Christmas Rush is Over

Every year I tell myself that Christmas should not be so stressful and that next year will be better.  But the next year comes along and the stress starts building.  This year, I decided that shopping was not going to be one of those stresses.  So I did a lot of my shopping online this year.  I didn't have to take time off work to go spend a whole day or more looking for the perfect gifts.  Besides, the perfect gift does not come wrapped in a gift under the tree.  The perfect gift, for me, would be to relax with my family and enjoy the time together. No stress, no expectations of the perfect holiday, Just a special time to get together and make nice memories.

As a family, we changed our usual schedule and places for the Holiday festivities.  It was a nice mix of old traditions and new traditions.  

The stress comes when I try to take on to much work for others. After all, I am an artist, who works at this for a living. So I should be able to take it on.  I can work hard and long hours.  But the reality is, my time is limited before Christmas.  Custom orders cannot be late for Christmas.  Scheduling some projects before others because of shipping issues, drying or firing times, and just the fact that many of the things that I create take A LOT of time.  So, even though it comes with the job, it is stressful because I want to make everyone happy and I find it difficult to be limited by time.   

But after all the food was cooked and eaten, the packages were unwrapped, the Post Christmas illness settled in.  This year it took the form of a bad head cold.  As I type this, I am sitting on the couch, in my new pjs, that my sister gave me, with my pillow and blanket and tissues and medicine, wishing I felt better, so I could enjoy being home.  But this head cold that I got for Christmas is not allowing me to enjoy the time to relax.  Seems like many people have also gotten a cold this Christmas, as well.  I have to wonder if it is the stress that helps to bring on the Post Christmas illness...the dreaded cold.   I run myself into the ground trying to make everyone happy and try to make everything perfect...which is impossible...

...Which gives me my goal for next year....SIMPLIFY. 

So now I have to figure out how I can do that for 2014...and still make a living with my art! 

Until then...Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays! 

Beth♥