The last two weeks just flew by. In fact, the whole year passed in the wink of an eye! Now, on the last day of this year, I wish to post an artful farewell to 2014.
On January 1st of this year I wrote and posted a bucket list, things I wanted to do, to see, to accomplish. One of the items on the list was to take an online acrylic painting or mixed media workshop. I had always wanted to paint but had not picked up a paintbrush and put any kind of paint to paper or canvas since I was ten years old. I wanted to get past my fear of trying painting. So, on someone’s recommendation, in February I took a mixed media e-course by Kelly Rae Roberts. I watched her videos, I collaged, I painted, I came up with mantras, I tried some more.
Around April, I decided I wasn’t very good at painting on canvas. I became embarrassed to post my paintings alongside the ‘true’ artists in Kelly Rae’s e-course Facebook group. Even though the people in the group were supportive of me, I was not supportive of myself. It appears I thought I should go from knowing nothing to being skilled over night. In any case, I switched gears and decided to focus my efforts on art journaling instead. That seemed less precious, less threatening, and more experimental. The groups and workshops I joined for art journaling had artists of all levels and I felt comfortable. I then did two months of index card art: quick and easy and not threatening at all. Then I took a watercolor class. And a workshop on creative funky journals.
But on December 12th I decided I wanted to create a mixed media piece as a gift for my daughter for Christmas. She had told me earlier this year that she wanted me to paint a ‘Day of the Dead’ painting for her because her tattoo-artist boyfriend liked a few early paintings I had done. So out came my better-quality paints and a 16″x20″ canvas art-board and my Muse. This is what I created for her:
The background is colorful, with a design reminiscent of Mexican art. The way I painted the face reflects the closing out of a year which has been extremely challenging for my daughter (the skull half of the face) and the beginning of a new year of possibilities (the celebratory-woman half of the face). Endings and deaths always make room for beginnings and births, which is why we celebrate on New Year’s Eve.
I am grateful that my daughter loved her gift and that I left my fear of painting behind me. I am grateful to have fulfilled a wish on my bucket list for 2014 and to have learned art from some very talented artists. 2014 has been a wonderfully creative year for me and I hope 2015 will be even better! Tomorrow I will post what I would like to focus on in the coming year.
Happy New Year and new beginnings to you all!
Ain't No Ninny 
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