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!

Sweet's Year in Review

January 21, 2013...That's the day I started this blog.  A whole year of posts have happened since then.  I stuck with this blog.  I needed it more than I knew when I posted those first pages of art, and it's been amazing what these past twelve months have encompassed for me.

I thought I'd take a minute to look back at 2013 and honor what's happened this year.


JANUARY

"For the girl with the wild hair and the thirsty heart."
Using watercolors and the crayon resist technique.

I started the blog...it's funny how much has changed since then...there were very few words in my posts that first month.  I didn't really know what to say...or else I was nervous to say it.  Mostly there were pictures of my beginning art stuff.

This is the first face I ever posted on the blog, a work in progress...

I remember being giddy over this face, because it was the best thing I had done art-wise so far.  I was so proud of her!  I remember feeling like I had learned so much already, because before I started taking art stuff seriously, I could hardly draw a stick figure with a smiley face.  Then I started watching videos and pouring over every single piece of information I could find about art journaling...this girl was the beginning of my face obsession, because I saw the first glimmer of improvement in her.

FEBRUARY

There were a lot of firsts in February:

The first time I ever used prompts to help me along in my art.

The first collage I ever made...

The first mail art I ever received (from my darling friend Cheryl)....

The first time I attempted Zentangles/doodling...

And the first time I was ever close to being happy with the hair I'd done...  I still love this girl for the emotion I can see in her...

MARCH

In March, I started to get a little more wordy...the true Sweets was starting to emerge...I was also gaining more confidence in artistic things...

I sent mail art for the first time...check out that envelope!  I remember being REALLY worried about what to send...I was so scared she wouldn't like it!  I still get nervous sending people my stuff, but not nearly as much as I was the first time!

March was also a month for experimenting for me...this page was the first glimmer of hope that I could get better at lettering...  I'm still happy with it!  ...of course, I plan on practicing more in the new year...

March was also the month I started buying art supplies...or should I say the month the obsession really took off?  I bought every single color of Dylusions spray inks...and descended into art supply madness even further since then...

APRIL

April was when I really started to understand the journal part of art journal...and when I started to let my personality and feelings show...and let you know what was going on in my mind that prompted the pages.

This is still one of my favorite pages...I love the memory it holds...

April was also a month I got some very good advice from a very dear friend.  She made me think about things in a different way, and I still think about her advice when I'm feeling blue.

April also saw my first attempt at making my own art journal...this little calendar book was fun to make and ended up being pretty cute!  I need to dig it out and work in it some more!

April was also the first time I attempted a realistic drawing (a self-portrait)...while I mostly now see the glaring flaws on this page (dear goodness, I made a space alien version of Sweets! ...scary!), I also see the improvements.  That right cheek is awesome, look how round and dimensional it looks!  And the neck is pretty good too!

MAY

In May, I turned 30 and got a TON of awesome mail art!  I also did the countdown to 30, which was fun for me.  And I made some art for my two moms...birth mom, Marian,  and work mom, Miss Lettie.

This simple and cute gal made me very happy...and even better, Miss Lettie really liked her as well.

I was also really happy with this painting on canvas that I made for my Mom...and she liked it too!  It's always a good thing when the recipient of the gift likes it!  She has it hanging on the wall in her house, which makes me pretty proud!

And this art journal page remains one of my favorites:

I was so happy with the emotion in this page and the shading...I think this is one of the first times I felt like all my effort was paying off!

JUNE

June saw ICAD, or Index Card a Day, which I started but ended up not sticking with...but there were some fun cards that happened before I quit:

Like this one, inspired by the talented and hilarious Tracey Fletcher King, who you can check out HERE...

and this one:

I didn't like this one at first, but she grew on me over time...I'm don't know if that pun was intended or not...but it's out there now, isn't it?  

June was also the month I shared what my drawings looked like before I started practicing art at all:

No, this was not made by a five year old...I shared this to show that everybody can get better with a little practice.  Personally, I still have a hard time believing how much my work has improved in a little less than a year!.

June also had some really awesome art journal pages, the beginning of Inner Excavations, and this painting on canvas:

I was so proud of that bird outline!  Everybody thought I used a stencil, but NO!  I drew it by hand from a picture reference...it still makes me happy to look at it!

JULY

July was a lean month on the blog, not a lot of posting happened, but the posts I did write were SUPER long!   Inner Excavations continued to happen:

His shirt is a tip it!  I'm still proud of that stroke of genius!

I made an ugly piece of scrapbook paper go from this:

Ew.

To this (sharing all the steps along the way):

Ah...much better!

And Book of Days (an Effy Wild workshop) was started:

This spread was squeal worthy...

AUGUST

In August, I attempted my first month long Blog-a-thon, subsequently failed, but ended up with some really good art in the process:

I showed you this page, from start to finish.

Continued with Book of Days (I love this page...it's even better in person)...

...and Inner Excavations.

I introduced you to my beloved Gregg...

...and showed you what the future held for Gregg and I.

SEPTEMBER

September saw the 29 Faces challenge, and my personal (hip hip hooray) 30 posts in 30 days accomplishment:

So many...

...different faces...

...were drawn daily...

...in September!

OCTOBER

October was another lean month blog-wise, probably due to exhaustion from daily posting in September...and in part due to the surprise of Fusco, the drop off wonder dog, being left at my house:

Best.Drop.Off.Ever.  He really is great and wonderful, and I still don't know why anybody would just leave such a good dog!  ...BUT, I'm happy they did, because this guy is awesome, and I can't imagine life without him now!

Inner Excavations was also finished off with a collage BANG!

NOVEMBER

November was the month I bought Jane Davenport's "Whimsical Faces"class from Cloth Paper Scissors...and the learning commenced!

Gregg continued to be loved and adored and filled with art...

This page was made...it makes me squeal with delight every time I look at it! 

You met Strega Nona...

...and her grandson, The Swedish Chef.

And the quest to finish my two art journals (the ones with the less-than-desirable paper in them) began in earnest.

DECEMBER

December was a big month for me.  Kickin' It Old School Blog-a-thon was attempted and half-way finished.

There was a lot of mental work happening in December.

Looking to the past with love:

...letting go of some things...

...continuing to learn and grow as an artist, and as a human being...

....making plans for continued growth...

...and putting those plans in motion.

It's been a busy but wonderful year for me...looking back was certainly fun.  I'm proud of how far I've come, happy for all the progress that's happened, and, most of all, glad for all the friends I've made.  I hope in 2014 the path I'm walking will prove to be just as much of a growing experience as 2013 and that even more new friends will be found along the way.

That about you?  What did 2013 hold that is special to you?  When you look back on the year, what do you remember the most?  What do you hope 2014 will hold for you?