Check Your Work

the annual review

Every year, sometime in December, I drag out all of the work I’ve done on paper in the prior 12 months, line up the canvases, and do a little back-patting and culling. First, the pat on the back: It’s easy to lose track of what we accomplish over time. We can “no-big-deal” things when we look at our work - whatever kind of work it may be - individually, but when I look at that pile o’ paintings, well, WOW! I made a lot of work this year! And this doesn’t even show the work that has been sold, or is hanging in a gallery right now. Even just writing that last sentence is an accomplishment for me; it was my dream and goal to be represented by a gallery I am proud to be a part of and I found it in Sunset River Gallery. I’m even teaching a workshop there in January! More to come on that soon. I’m feeling dang proud of myself today.

Next comes the culling. Look, not every day in that studio is a success, but it is generally productive. If I make a piece that’s rubbish, I try to figure out where and why it went south and make a different mistake the next time. What I don’t do is toss those disasters in the trash. First off, materials are expensive, and since I work mainly in acrylics, I can often paint over things and save the paper or canvas. Sometimes, though, they just sit in a pile until the annual review when I have enough distance to laugh and shake my head at the stinkers, decide to rework the mediocre ones, and take some pride in the successes. This one is close to being a stinker, but will get reworked:

I also find pieces I’ve forgotten I painted. Like this one:

She was borne of a dream I had about a very traumatic event long ago in my life. The dream image haunted me for days and I decided I needed to exorcise it by making it tangible. After I did, I put it in a drawer and forgot about it. Demons, Begone! As I look at it now, I don’t see the fear and shame anymore. It feels hopeful to me. Art as therapy, my friend!

Taking the time to review a year’s worth of artwork in one sitting is an invaluable practice for growth and reflection. It shows me a view of my artistic journey, reveals patterns, strengths, and areas for improvement. It helps me identify recurring themes and techniques in my practice, and highlights where I’ve played it safe or struggled. It gives me a deeper understanding of my evolution as an artist and inspires me for whatever comes next. The process helps me make deliberate choices about the direction of my art.

So, think about doing a post-mortem on your 2024 work. If you don’t have a stack of papers, look back through your photos, your calendar, planner, journal: wherever you’ve documented your days. Do some analysis, maybe some culling, and take some pride, then get ready to move on up!

Thank you for holding my hand on this journey and connecting with me here. You are much appreciated.