So Long

And here we are...counting down the last day of 2014!

This year seems to have flown by!  Especially the second half...for me, from September on was a total blink of an eye.  It was crazy!

For this last post of the year...the post that completes my year as well as my December blog-a-thon (hooray!)...I thought I would share a few of the highlights of 2014...

In January, I was having fun with one of Jane Davenport's workshops:

This was for Jane Davenport's "Supplies Me" workshop.

It was also the beginning of my two year long art projects, Journal 52...

This page remains one of my favorites...one of the ones that I am most proud of!

...and Documented Life:

This was documenting a very sad thing, the passing of my dog, Nunu...he was such a good boy, but his passing away brought an end to a painful illness, and there's comfort in the fact that he's not in pain anymore.

In February, I had a rant about a co-worker, but this lovely page came out of it:

Her horns/tiny head trees are my favorite part...I adore them!

I started a short and frustrating trip into abstract art, that still goads me every time I think about it...

Then I tried my hand at a Mindy Lacefield inspired spread and found I liked that much better:

I've ended up with several Mindy Lacefield inspired pieces, but this was the first and probably my favorite...

I also realized that my desire for freedom isn't new to me...I've wished for it since I was a child:

I didn't remember this page, but maybe in 2015, I'll reach my lifelong dream of attaining freedom...

In March, I thought a lot about who I was...

...made with some home-made stencils I did a tutorial for (also in March)...

...and who I wanted to be:

"Now and Then"
I started understanding that if I wanted to get to the colorful and happy place on the right, I'd have to push through fear as illustrated on the left.

In April, I thought more about being afraid:

Another one of my favorite pages...I think she's so cool!

I worked on some personal stuff...

I love the color combo of the olive-ish green and the rosy carmine...

...and started a project that I later came to realize was better left unfinished:

My collage skills were improving by leaps and bounds, but I was backsliding to an emotional state that was better left in the past...I do need to get back to collages though...I was getting better at them!

May saw a couple mermaids (and me admitting that I like washing dishes):

...if I were a mermaid, I'd be a chunky one...but my tail would be fantastic!

This is another happy-making page for me...her arms and hands came out relatively normal looking! ☺

I also remembered that change comes from within and got a little confrontational with someone who had done me wrong (so out of character for me!):

...the shading on the ball of her nose turned out surprisingly well!

In June, I got experimental!  I made my first (and, so far, only) mandala:

...not too hideous for a first attempt, right?

...tried my hand at playing the Glad Game:

...I also started noticing a run of purple in my art that month...

...got to do an artist interview with my sweet and talented friend Jackie (aka My Honey):

Isn't My Honey an amazing artist?  I adore her and her work!

I also did a video talking about my art and myself...and I got all scientific on you:

...there was an informative discussion about what a 'line' actually is, involving time, our lifespan, and vampires...my mind is so weird...

July saw more science:

Real life anglerfish are NOT as cute as this guy is...

...participation in Summer of Color:

That wolf sure loves that girl...

...me making wishes:

...still looking for those things...

...and my realizing how appalling 'fashion' has gotten in recent times and how I would dress if I could:

check out those gams...

In August, I realized that I'm probably a psychic, but most of the time I don't know what I'm talking about:

The reference photo that I used for the above girl is one I keep coming back to...she's on my Pinterest board, "Photograph".

In September, I had an awesome beach trip with my mom!  Artistically, I played with texture, made some cards, and realized that some things can't be let go of quickly:

the olive green and carmine make their second appearance

I got my feathers ruffled:

That crow napkin is still awesome...I wish I had a million of them...

...and I started seeing things connect:

Leonardo was right...

October heard me bemoaning the fact that my mom and I couldn't stay at the beach indefinitely...and it heard me celebrating as well:

...after MANY attempts, a decent face in profile was drawn!

I thought about what was dear to my heart:

...also reminded you that Bambi was, in fact, a boy...

and magic was made:

...still NOT Tinkerbell...

November came with some baggage:

...we hold too much inside of ourselves sometimes, don't we?

but also contained acceptance:

...gratitude:

...and realizing I've still got some fight in me:

And finally December...it started out with a scare that THANKFULLY ended much better than it could have.

I participated in Reverb14 (my first Reverb ever!), which was fantastic and reminded me how much I enjoy writing (which has taken a backseat to art for quite a while).  I learned a lot about myself...

...finished off a bunch of pages where there was a background but nothing else...

where I wanted to be:

This page is laughably bad!  (but laughing's good, so it can't be all bad, right?  ...right???)

...and what I hope for the future.

Adora-bunny...

I wrapped up Journal 52 with an important reminder:

...better keep learning then!

and Documented Life with a little whimsy:

I've never been happier that my name starts with an "A"!

...thus completing TWO year-long art projects and proving that I CAN finish what I start!

-

And that brings us up to date with today, December 31...

...still celebrating the cleanliness of the desk!

...where I thought I send 2014 off with a little bit of fun...

Followed a tutorial I found on Pinterest to make this cartoony horse...you can find the tutorial on my "Copycat With Respect" board.

With many thanks for all it's taught me, I say:

SO LONG 2014!