December 2024
And plans for 2025!
In December I have been drawing some of the prompts from the Witchy Yuletide prompt list from Vanessa Oliver-Lloyd (@DansMonCrane on instagram). Since my last post, I did a few final drawings in my sketchbook and then moved into the final project. I also came down with a cold and hosted Xmas for a few days… so that slowed my progress a bit, but I caught up.
I decided to stick with animals throughout the final project and gave into the narrative layout of the zine. Here’s the final project!
I used Strathmore Mixed Media paper and a variety of materials including watercolors, Derwent Inktense pencils, Derwent drawing pencils, liquitex and Molotov jumbo acrylic paint markers, neocolor crayons and Windsor and newton watercolor markers.
Pros: Over the past few months I have been trying to work more in mixed media and I’ve been pushing that in my sketches and the zines I’ve made. I think this zine reflects that.
Cons: I can personally tell I worked on this as a single sheet of paper and now that it’s folded and cut, I prefer it as a large drawing rather than folded up.
What do you think?
In other news… a recap of my 2024 sketches… I completed 7 sketchbooks this year, which is a new record!
I’ve shared flip through’s of many of these on instagram. Here’s a recent one:
And a few of my recent mixed media landscapes capturing the late fall/early winter colors.
Looking to 2025…
2025 art goals: 1) keep making art 2) less zoom, more IRL art classes
First step, I am taking a 6-week figure drawing class in January - already winning!
No longer doing: 1) Unnecessary deadlines and tasks 2) Setting goals or tracking behaviors
With that in mind, I am reminding myself that Substack (and social media posting in general for me) is for fun and accountability - not a full time job. I’ll be going back to a twice monthly schedule here, with basic plans for one ‘reflection and preparation’ post and one ‘work in progress’ post. I like my Substack space to reflect on my art progress and share what I’m up to! I hope you agree.
Please let me know if anything I shared resonated with you this year and if you want to see more of anything here.
Thank you for your support this year in this space. Sending warmest wishes for a Happy New Year to you!
Love your goals and let-gos for 2025. I am trying to balance the guilt/pressure of goals with the motivation they can provide. You just gave me the idea of attending an in person class!
My art changed a lot when I started using IG way less - I missed out on a lot of challenges and things. I also felt a lot less personal pressure to create daily when I just wasn’t feeling it or didn’t have time and needed rest.
I have a few ideas/plans for 2025 but am allowing myself room for those to change as the year unfolds.
Love seeing your journals - you are so prolific and it’s so inspiring. Wishing you a peaceful and creative 2025!!