Was 2022 a good year for you?
2022 was a great year. I finished my series, Mood Lights, a five year project of fifty works, and I feel that I had quite a growth spurt this year, both personally and in my skills as an artist.
What were some of the highlights in your art career?
The peak this year would probably be my acceptance into the Painting the Figure Now Exhibition at the Wauau Museum of Contemporary Art, a professional goal that I've had for years. Two of my paintings are going to the moon, part of the Lunar Codex Project, so that's amazing! I've also found new representation with two national galleries.
What were some of the pitfalls?
The biggest pitfall would have to be that none of my work was accepted in this year's ARC Salon, but I'm nearly finished with the piece I'll be submitting next year, and I do have high hopes. Another would be that although I'm proud of the quality of work I produced this year, I didn't produce enough of it to meet my personal goal.
Did your art sell?
It's been a slow year for sales, although I did sell some work directly to private collectors, enough to keep me afloat!
Were you included in any shows?
This has actually been my best year so far for being in shows. I premiered new work at my local gallery Sidewalk Side Studiohere in New Orleans and was a part of eleven national and international shows, both online and in person, including three shows at the Wausau Museum of Contemporary Art, the Legends of the Moon Exhibition with Era Contemporary Gallery in Philadelphia, and Liberating the Flesh at 33 Contemporary in Chicago.
Were you published in any art magazines or periodicals?
Another personal best! I was a featured artist in the April 2022 issue of The Guide Artists Magazine. I also had work published in the book, The Great American Paint In, released by Gallery Cero, and I finally had one of my paintings included in Beautiful Bizarre Magazine as part of the Legends of the Moon!
How has social media affected your daily practice?
My social media efforts haven't changed very much from last year to this year, although I've chronicled and posted more work in progress to share with my followers, which I must add have grown since joining Poets/Artists, thanks to Didi's tireless efforts!
What are you looking forward to in 2023?
I'm most looking forward to starting two new series. Le Sue Avventure in Italia will be a series of roughly forty works of my muse, Tasha, painted from references we shot on a ten-day adventure across Italy. Blu will be a smaller, simpler series of my muse, Shannon, from a shoot we did one night in our pousada in Rio de Janeiro.