New Year's Eve 2022

 

It's the Last Day of 2022.
So here are the plans for next year.
Tentatively.

I don't tend to do New Year's Resolutions. The world and my body are both unpredictable, so I'm quite hesitant to make promises of any kind.

This year, as I watch the fog roll in on an unseasonably warm evening and listen to the dogs bark, I feel even less inclined than usual to make major commitments.

But I really should write something down, shouldn't I? I should have goals and dreams and things I want to do!

So here they are - my plans for 2023:

• Write every day!
• Maybe I should post a wordcount for my daily totals on Twitter (or somewhere else, if the bird dies)
• Draw every day!
• I'd post the best on Thursdays, but ideally I'd post everything on Instagram?
• Also I should upload more designs to RedBubble.
• Take at least one picture every day!
• Probably gonna be a lot of cat pics, probably will upload most to my Insta.
• Make more videos
• Ideally, I'd make a slide show every so often to show what my total progress, arts/crafts wise, is with a MegaCompliation at the end of December? I have no clue.
• Cook at least once
• I'd love to cook once a week, but that's a rough commitment in a shared space.
• finish everyone's Christmas gifts before December 12th
• Unlikely, but an idea. I have... thoughts on what to make for everyone.
• Crochet every day!
• I'd love to finish a snowflake and work on a larger project every day.
• Figure out a way to sell original artworks and/or pictures.

If I even hit half these goals, I think I'd be doing amazingly. The most important goals are the Daily ones - Art, Writing, Crochet. Everything else is gravy.

I'll be honest - the idea of selling commissions terrifies me. I've seen the horror stories. I've heard of the chargebacks, the fraud, the people with unrealistic expectations. It's why I do my Categories (Animal, Vegetable, Mineral, Location, Dedbert, Geometric, Word). You can't be disappointed if you don't have final say over the end product, right?

An idea I have had in the past was to offer Blind Boxes/Bags of art or crochet. You don't know what you'll get for a specific price that never changes. The problem with that, of course, would be shipping.

In order to turn even a tiny profit (if there is such a thing as profit in art...) I'd have to charge way more than I'd be comfortable with. And I just don't really feel comfortable doing a digital-only sales. Not only do I not trust PayPal to not be a turd about things (they're notorious for screwing over artists), but I don't know enough about digital art sales to be comfortable selling an image to someone else when all I'd know how to do is send them a jpg or png via email...

I'd love some suggestions and ideas.

In fact, if anyone has anything they'd like to see from this blog, please oh please comment on here and let me know! Since I have to moderate comments, you'll 100% know I saw your comment lol.

What kinds of hopes do you all have for 2023? And how weird is it that 2023 is upon us? It feels like yesterday that I was whining about August heat or March snows...

So that's my thoughts on the last day of 2022. I hope the new year brings good things and wanted change.

Go Enjoy Something!

FC

Thursday Art Walk

 

In Which I Am Back!

Welcome to 2022! Kinda a lot like 2021 (thankfully sans crazy people trying to break into the US Capitol!) but a fresh new year when we can do anything we want!

You haven't heard from me since before Christmas, huh. I'm sorry about that, but I've been quite busy! I'll talk more about that on Tuesday, but I've got a lot of stuff to blather about lol.

For today, though, I'll show you a very very nice gift my boyfriend got me for Christmas:

A lovely set of watercolors!

So pretty and metallic/pearlescent!!!

They do swatch up pretty nice, too!

This paint set has 36 gorgeous shiny paints in it. When it shipped, I'm sure it was all in order, but at some point it must've tilted because the pans were in disarray when I opened it up. As you may be able to tell from the stains on the sponge and the lid, I had already started swatching it.

It came with a pencil, a thin brush, a water brush, the dampening-sponge, and an eraser, and I have to say, both pencil & eraser are fantastic! I sharpened the pencil up so I could use it to draw a nice little New Year's painting!

"Happy New Year 2022!"; watercolor & Pigma pen; 2022

I have to say, at first I was unimpressed with the pigmentation of these paints, but then I realized that I have been using pans incorrectly.

Apparently, you have to rehydrate them a bit before painting with them (a quick spritz or drop of water left to soften the paint for a moment before you try to load your brush is recommended). Once I dripped water into the pans, it layered on beautifully! It's hard to see how bright and rich the colors are in that picture, because with how reflective these paints are, the light kind of bounces all over the place! Those feet are super orange-copper!

A very shiny birb!

Thank you for coming back to see my art, and I hope you'll stick around for Monday when one of the reasons for my blog silence will be made obvious, and then Tuesday when I'll explain myself even better!

Hope this year is treating you well so far!

Go Enjoy Something!

FC