Happy New Years Eve 12 '14

Happy New' Year's  Eve Everyone

May  your  2015 be filled with the joy of achievement and the thrill of creative effort.

"Life is an opportunity, benefit from it.

Life is beauty, admire it.

Life is a dream, realize it.

Life is a challenge, meet it.

Life is a duty, complete it.

Life is a game, play it.
Life is a promise, fulfill it.
Life is sorrow, overcome it.
Life is a song, sing it.
Life is a struggle, accept it,
Life is tragedy, confront it.
Life is an adventure, dare it.
Life is luck, make it.
Life is life, fight for it."

Mother Teresa

2014 in Review 12"14

2014 was a rough year emotionally; maybe one of the toughest I have had to deal with in quite awhile. It has been filled with sorrow from the loss of family and friends, and many unpleasant personal responsibilities. There were times I was barely able to meet both my business and personal commitments, much less give any attention to  being creative.  There were many occasions that I seemed to take one-step forward with my creative goals, only to find myself falling two back.  At times I despaired of every being able to make any progress toward my meeting my art business’s 2014 plan. 

And yet in review, I am finding that I did meet many of my personal goals as well as almost all of my business goals for 2014).

• ·         I created several new series of paintings last year.
• ·         Painted some larger format oils
• ·         Successfully expanded  into the print market
• ·         Took steps towards a future goal by taking technology training I will need to use.
• ·         And most importantly I kept the business profitable.

Granted, accomplishing all of this was not easy and there were many hard choices to be made. For example I had to drop out of my favorite gallery.  The time commitments and cost of gasoline required to be involved in that gallery, would have prohibited me from producing art, and probably have put the business in the red.

"Sometimes painful things can teach us lessons that we didn't think we needed to know."
Amy Poehler.

The lesson I (re)learned this year is the power of having a solid business plan.  Having one allowed me to focus upon the priorities, and make choices, which will kept me on track through the hard times and  has put me  in position to move forward rapidly now that circumstances  have changed.

 So here’s to the end of a successful, (albeit, brutal) 2014 , and the beginning of a  brighter New Year in  in 2015 

Nice way to end the year 12 '14

Whoop Whoop!

 Just got word that two more prints from my Pawleys Island Series have sold.

Thank you Fine Art America. That's a really nice belated Christmas gift, 

and a lovely way to end this year.