For the last few years at the start of January, I have spent some time thinking about what I would like the next year to bring.  Imagining, dreaming, visualising, manifesting, call it what you will.  I have also thought about a word that encompasses this.

For 2022 the word was abundance.  Creating an abundance of opportunities for myself, an abundance of paintings, an abundance of ideas. Instead of thinking about doing less as I have for a few years, I thought about doing more; how that might look and how that might feel.The beginnings of this had come in 2021, I had booked a gallery space for May and another for October. I had an inkling for what was to come.

I started by buying and making lots of wooden panels in differing sizes.  I had a sketchbook of ideas but also wanted to play and see what happened, if I had an idea I tried it.  Working on a lot allowed me to move between them all without spending too long on any.

I decided to enter lots of open exhibitions and take opportunities that came along.  This has meant that I have had paintings in 8 exhibitions as well as the two of my own. 

All of this has pushed me to step out of my comfort zone, learn to do new things and make connections with new people.  There have been times where I’ve felt I’d taken on two much and sometimes deadlines kept me busy over school holidays, but learning what you don’t want to do is important.

So I am ready to take stock and think about what I want to do next year…….