It’s that time of year again!
Where we make handy little art summaries showing what we’ve accomplished this year! I always find these super fun, and I love seeing what pieces people choose to put in their tiles to surround themselves with. For me, it’s a nice reminder that even when art-making in the moment feels very slow going, especially for more tedious and detailed works, it is very worth it to me! This year in particular, I’ve tried to put more thought and planning into compositions, as well as being more intentional about details. I’ve worked on a lot more pieces that feature pattern and ornamentation, especially inspired by vintage illustration. This is something I really love about my work and definitely want to lean more into in the upcoming year! It’s wonderful to look back and see what aspects I’ve been drawn to over time, and how it translates into my work, even across different subject matters and styles.
The limits of art memes
However, one thing about memes like “Summary of Art” and Art vs. Artist collages is that it shows a flattened version of what the year was like–after all, I didn’t only work on pieces that fit this particular aesthetic. Earlier in the year especially, I worked on portraits for family–for family members who passed away this year, as well as for friends who supported us in this time. It’s not something I necessarily consider part of my “portfolio,” but they are works that are meaningful to me and and my family, and I’m glad I have been able to contribute.
Also it’s worth noting that for every nice and finished artwork I was able to complete this year, I have pages and pages full of doodles and scratches and notes in notebooks and sketchbooks trying to figure out and write down and roughy scribble ideas, usually when I’m at work, or on the bus, or otherwise when I can’t commit to sitting down and working on a piece from beginning to end. Even when I’m not able to get to the ideas, (which is 90% of the time) I feel like they all end up contributing to my projects even in small ways, and I do enjoy flipping through and being able to see my thoughts. It’s a great way of still feeling creative and connecting to that important aspect of myself even when I’m feeling tired or frustrated.
Art is not the end-all
One great thing that I was able to do this year, was actively seek to spend more time with friends, both virtually (over calls) as well as in person (limited, but still fun.) While of course I was keeping in contact with people in previous years, but I feel like this year it became something a lot more of a priority to me. Not very original but I’m happy I was able to participate more in this year, especially since I know I have tendencies of retreating into myself and my work a lot. I hope that I can continue to do so in 2023–it’s going to be a very busy year for me, due to going back to school for career reasons, but I am for once looking forward to it.
What’s in store?
As December continues on, I have… a lot of things on my plate. I have personal zine projects I started way back at the beginning of the year that I want to finish, as well as commissions and other things that I would like to make good on and complete, so I can start more afresh. While I have really enjoyed my fanart projects and commissions, I would like to focus more on developing original content going forward. It’s a bit early to say now of course, but I very much look forward to sharing when I get around to it.
Like most things, I am very grateful for everyone who has enjoyed my art, bought my work, sent kind messages and encouragement my way–it has really been a balm during the more tumultuous and stressful times of this year. Thanks a lot!
Tomatobird Art 