Goals and Studies

"Study - Lynx Pass Aspens"
Oil on Panel
8x6"
2008

SOLD

I'll bet nobody noticed, but I've been slacking on statusing my 2008 goals here. Oops!

I know I said I would do it monthly, but it just got boring to me because I felt like I was reporting the same thing every month. And since I'm actually making good progress this year (yay!), that seemed to be overkill, so I decided I'd only comment about the goals when I had something new to say.

Anyhow, I was updating my painting database today (see, I'm still sticking with the goals, even if I'm not reporting!), and I was surprised to see that last month I surpassed my goal of 100 paintings this year! I'm at 102 paintings as of October 31st, which I almost can't believe. When I made this goal, I thought it would be a stretch, and for most of this year it has been. However, I've been doing a ton of plein air work and studies for the mentorship I'm doing, and the numbers add up quickly when most of the work I'm doing is smaller than 11x14" (I did 20 paintings in September alone). I haven't worked on anything larger than a 12x16" in about a month and a half, which is a bit odd for me (I'm actually chomping at the bit to work on some bigger stuff!), but I've been learning a lot that I hope will eventually transfer to my larger work.

Through all of this, I've been learning the value of the small study. I'm using these small works to test out new ideas and compositions, and figure out what it is that I want to say about each scene. I'm hoping that doing small studies more routinely will prevent me from having to scrape or trash unsuccessful larger paintings, but only time will tell if that's the case.

The only downside to doing all of these small paintings is that my studio is overflowing with stacks of small panels! The painting above is one of them - I did this quick sketch for this painting, which sold a few months ago. This was probably the first time I've ever done an in-studio sketch as pre-work for a slightly larger painting. In the months that have gone by since I did this one, I've learned how invaluable these can be.

August Goals Update

"Moraine Park Summer"
Oil on Panel
18x24"
2008

Is it really September already? It's been cold up here the past few mornings, and I feel like summer disappeared as Labor Day weekend came to a close. I've been so busy that it seems to have passed me by!! Anyhow, I guess it's time to status my goals and see where I'm at now that we're 2/3 of the way through 2008. It's been a crazy week around here, so bear with me if I ramble.

1. Get my work into three more galleries.

I'm sort of feeling like I'm done with this goal for now. I don't particularily need another gallery at this point, so I don't want to waste a lot of effort on it. I'd rather focus my energy on making sure my existing galleries are stocked with good paintings!! I do have a three-person show in October at a gallery I don't currently show with. If that goes well, I would consider showing my work there, and then I could check this off of my goals list. But right now, I'm happy with where I'm at.

2. Complete 100 paintings.

Painted seven this month - well, I guess I painted eight, but one wasn't very successful and is still in studio waiting to be fixed. Most of these were fairly small, so it wasn't a very productive month for me. I had a bit of post-show burnout after the RMPAP show, and then that stomach thing knocked me out for a week. Anyhow, that makes 66 down, 34 to go.

3. Sell enough work to pay our mortgage.

The original point of this goal was to make me take my art seriously and feel like a contributing part of the household finances, and it's been really effective. It's been a good year for me up to this point, and that's been a really big blessing given the state of the economy. Nate's business is homebuilding, and he's taken a bit of a hit this summer, so anything I can contribute is more than welcome right now. I've already met this goal for the year, and at this point I'm just looking to go beyond that to help out where I can.

4. Update painting database and financial records monthly.

Done. Still very useful. I was going to blow this off this week, then I realized I'd be kicking myself when I eventually had to catch up. It's nice to keep the business side of things up to date by doing it on a regular basis.

5. Race in a minimum of three 5k's.

This is so not a priority right now! I'm registered for a tri this month, but I've got so much going on that it's totally been pushed to the back burner and I think I'll probably skip it. I am going to make sure I go for a run or hike every morning before I paint, mostly for my mental health, but that's where it ends.

So, there they are for the month. Considering how much we have going on these days, I'm happy to see that I'm on track with my goals for the year. In the next few months we'll be moving and it'll be interesting to see how that affects things. At this point we have our foundation done, but we're putting our house on hold and thinking of moving into the spec home we have on the market. I'm sort of bummed about that because it means I won't have my dream studio right away, but the house we'll move into is actually really cute and nice, and has a great view from the front yard that I've painted a couple of times already! And I can wait until next year for the dream studio, I suppose... Anything's gotta be better than the garage I'm painting in right now (which is starting to get cold as the weather turns)!

July Goals Update

"Fall on the Yampa"
Oil on Panel
14x18"
2008

Phew! Last week was completely insane. I painted outdoors all day each day, then there were artists dinners to go to at night, followed by the opening on Friday night and the quickdraw and other events on Saturday. Needless to say, there wasn't much time to be updating databases and checking on goals!! The funny thing is, it really bugs me now if I don't do this status check at the end of each month - it's become a habit that I depend on to gauge how my career is progressing. So, here we go for the month of July:

1. Get my work into three more galleries.

Same as last month - two down, one to go, and I'm taking a break from the gallery search for the summer. Right now I'm letting things settle and seeing how things go with three galleries.

2. Complete 100 paintings.

Painted thirteen this month, which had to be a personal record. Seven of those were plein air pieces I completed for the RMPAP show last week, but the others were all decent sized studio paintings, so this was a productive month for me! That makes 59 down, 41 to go.

3. Sell enough work to pay our mortgage.

Done for the year - yay! My new goal is to earn enough to pay the mortgage (well, rent) AND our health insurance (not cheap - the joy of being self-employed).

4. Update painting database and financial records monthly.

Done. I might have to start doing this every couple of weeks as I get busier - it's hard to remember where everything is when I only update at the end of the month.

5. Race in a minimum of three 5k's.

Did a 5 miler last month, and I'm officially registered to do a sprint triathlon in September. My sister-in-law talked me into it and I'm sort of questioning my sanity given my current workload. Oh well - I know I can finish it as long as log some time in the pool this month!

So, that's it for this month. Sorry again if these posts are totally boring to everyone, but this has been such a good motivational thing for me this year that I'm making myself stick with it.

June Goals Update

"The End of August"
Oil on Panel
16x20"
2008

YAWN - I am officially sick of checking on the status of my goals... The commitment to revisit them each month this year has really kept me on track, but it sure is getting old! Anyhow, we're halfway through 2008 now, so I guess looking at them again is a good thing and here I go:

1. Get my work into three more galleries.

Two down, one to go, and I'm taking a break from the gallery search for the summer.

2. Complete 100 paintings.

Painted five this month. I was focusing on completing some larger paintings, so I didn't really care about quantity - I was just feeling like I needed to push my work a little bit, and working bigger is where I wanted to go. That makes 46 down, 54 to go.

3. Sell enough work to pay our mortgage.

Done so far. Although we sold the house in Denver so I guess I don't officially have a mortgage to pay right now (we're renting while we build the house up here)!

4. Update painting database and financial records monthly.

Done. I'm finding that this is really important now that I have more galleries - it's good to be on top of the database so I know where everything is.

5. Race in a minimum of three 5k's.

A friend and I ran in a local 5 mile race today, which was a big confidence booster. I had to take a couple of walk breaks since I'm not really up to running 5 miles at this point (a 5k would have been a better length), but my time was decent and I'm making progress!

Maybe I'm getting bored with statusing these goals because I'm actually making decent progress? I don't know... Anyhow, we've had a tiring two days of fun in the sun for July 4th, so I'm going to go to sleep now at 8 pm. Does that make me old?

May Goals Update

"Last Light"
Oil on Panel
8x10"
2008

How is it June already? It's like I blinked and suddenly the grass is green and it's summer! I feel like I just did my goals post for April yesterday, but the calendar is telling me it's June, so status my goals I must...

1. Get my work into three more galleries.

I'm now showing my work in a gallery in Breckenridge, and hoping things work out well there. I'm also taking paintings to another gallery sometime in the next couple of weeks. I have another that has expressed interest in seeing work in person, but it's not a sure thing at this point. And I have another that saw my work and offered to do a show to try things out. I actually like this approach (both the gallery and the artist see how things work out before committing long-term), but I didn't feel like I could commit to a solo show, so we talked about a potential 3-person show in the fall. Moral of the story? I'm slowly making progress on this one.

2. Complete 100 paintings.

I did ten paintings this month, and they weren't all tiny so I'm pretty happy with my time in the studio. That makes it 41 down, 59 to go...

3. Sell enough work to pay our mortgage.

Still on track here, which has been such a blessing. I expected things to be slow this month because it's the off-season in the mountains, but my gallery here sold a bunch of paintings in addition to some sales at various shows, and I had my best month ever. I'm really humbled by how well things have gone this month - I just feel so lucky when I'm able to make money doing what I love.

4. Update painting database and financial records monthly.

Done.

5. Race in a minimum of three 5k's.

I've been running a bit, started riding my bike. Wouldn't say I'm in shape, but it's progress!!

One of the things that's been really great this month has been the realization that I finally feel like art is a full-fledged career for me. I feel like I still treated painting like a hobby last year. I didn't have set days/hours for studio time, some weeks I didn't paint at all, and I didn't do nearly enough business stuff. This year I've been on top of things with my goals, and I finally feel like I'm putting in the effort that I should be, which is rewarding in itself.

One thing that I forgot to include in my goals this year is education/learning. I took a few workshops in 2003/2004 and then spent the past couple years working on my skills and developing my style on my own. For a while now I've been feeling like I need some outside input and teaching, and I've been trying to figure out the best way to go. Week long workshops aren't what I need at this point, and to that end I've committed to a six month mentorship program with a landscape painter whose work and business practices I respect. It starts in July, and I'm so excited I can't stand it.

Well, I'm sitting here watching Aspen sleep because she's sick and has a nasty fever, so it's probably time to stop typing and close up the computer screen. All in all, it's been a good month!

April Goals Update

"Into the Shadows"
Oil on Panel
12x16"
2008

I don't know about this painting - I like it better in real life than in this photo, but it just doesn't read how I want it to. Might be destined for a good sanding...

Anyhow, I'm sitting here updating all my financials and databases for April, so I figure I might as well status my yearly goals while I'm at it!! Is this getting repetitive yet? I apologize if my monthly goals post is too businesslike and boring, but this has done wonders for keeping me on track so far this year!

1. Get my work into three more galleries.

I finally got some time to devote to business this month, and contacted a few galleries. As of this week, I have two new galleries who have agreed to start showing my work for the summer season - I'll be delivering paintings to them towards the end of May, and hopefully they'll sell well! Nice to finally report some progress here.

2. Complete 100 paintings.

Painted seven paintings this month, even with a week off at the start for vacation/moving. One might be destined for the trash - it's posted at the top of this blog post - what do you think? I think it's just not "me". Anyhow, that makes it 31 down, 69 to go... I'm still having a hard time with having Aspen in daycare (even though she's just fine with it), but I do get a lot of uninterrupted painting time on the two days she's gone.

3. Sell enough work to pay our mortgage.

Still on track here, which is nice since we're still waiting for our house in Denver to sell!!

4. Update painting database and financial records monthly.

If I didn't have this goal, I would have totally forgotten to update everything tonight, so thank the Lord for goals!

5. Race in a minimum of three 5k's.

Um, I don't know - I tend to completely slack off when things get busy, and this has been one of those months. I did a bit of running, but not enough. Ugh...

So, April was a good month for the most part. Things are slow in the mountain resort towns in April and May, so I'm thrilled to have sold some paintings this month and gotten stuff done on the business end of things - better than expected!

March Goals Update

"Boreas Pass Gold"
Oil on Panel
12x9"
2008

You know you've moved to a small town when you're listening to the radio and someone is talking about the town's mayoral race and says,"And in Granby, Pierro won by a landslide with 264 votes!"

Anyhow, it's April, and I feel like I haven't gotten anything productive done this week so I'm going to status my goals from March to make myself feel better now...

1. Get my work into three more galleries.

Honestly, this really hasn't been on my radar this month. Too much other stuff to do!!

2. Complete 100 paintings.

Let's see - I'm pretty sure I painted 11 paintings this month, of which one was a definite trasher (I already sanded it down so I can reuse the panel!) and another two are questionable. None of them were too large, hence the bigger than usual number. That makes 24 down, 76 to go...

3. Sell enough work to pay our mortgage.

Still on track here, which is great. I know things will slow down a bit this month and next since it's mud season up here and I don't count on many sales in Winter Park, but I have a commission and some other stuff I'm working on in the meantime. Need to find a couple of galleries that aren't in seasonal markets!

4. Update painting database and financial records monthly.

I actually updated my financials early this month! So far, this has been the best goal I set this year because it's been doing me so much good to make sure I'm up to date on my records. There's no question about where I'm at, and that's great for keeping me on track.

5. Race in a minimum of three 5k's.

Started riding my bike and running this month, and even hit the pool once, which is better than nothing!! Exercising definitely makes me feel 100% better, so it's good to get back into things. This next month I'd like to be more consistent...

Overall, March was pretty good. I think I was trying really hard to make up for getting so little done in February!

February Goals Update

"Backlight in the Garden"
Oil on Panel
8x10"
2008

I can't believe it's already March! February came and went and it seems like I spent the entire month sick and in bed - not so fun. Anyhow, I've finally been feeling better and devoting some energy to my art, and despite the added distraction of getting our house ready to put on the market, I'm starting to feel productive again.

And since February is over, it's time for me to take a look at my goals again. I know it's only been two months, but knowing that I'm checking the status of my goals every month has really been effective at keeping me on track this year. So, here they are, again:

1. Get my work into three more galleries.

I didn't send out any packets this month, but I have been working on this and I'm feeling good about things.

2. Complete 100 paintings.

To meet this goal, I have to paint between 8 and 9 paintings per month. In February, I only managed four paintings, since I spent the first two and a half weeks of the month fighting the flu. I figure that's a decent excuse, so I'm not feeling too bad, but I'm definitely committed to getting some extra painting done this month to catch up! Anyhow, 13 done, 87 to go.

3. Sell enough work to pay our mortgage.

I'm actually on track here, which is great. I know that there's a bizarre stigma attached to art and making money, but I think that making it my intent to pay the bills with my art this year has been a really positive thing for me. I've been very focused on the quality of my work in addition to productivity, and I feel like I'm improving as a result.

4. Update painting database and financial records monthly.

So far, so good. I updated both this weekend to keep me on track, and I'm finding that this is extremely helpful in knowing where I stand with both my productivity and my financials. One unfortunate side effect is that it's also making me cheap - I can see every expense adding up in that spreadsheet, which keeps me from buying frames or art supplies just for fun!!

5. Race in a minimum of three 5k's.

Um, not so much. The flu really did a number on me this month - there were days when just sitting on the couch tired me out! I've gotten back into riding my bike on the trainer in the basement, so at least that's a bit of progress toward getting ready for a triathlon this summer. Guess I need to work harder here - after all, being healthy can have such a positive impact on the energy I bring to everything else.

So, overall not so bad, especially considering how sick I've been. We've got our house on the market now, so I'm really going to have to focus this month on not getting sidetracked by showings etc. If I have to paint every night after Aspen goes to bed, so be it!

January Goals Update

"November Sunset, Indian Peaks"
Oil on Canvas
16x20"
2008

So, I didn't do very well at meeting my art business (and other) goals last year, and decided that to make my goals this year I need to check my status every month. I know it's boring, but I'm doing it here because it makes me feel more accountable, so bear with me. It's the last day of January, and here's where I'm at:

1. Get my work into three more galleries.

I sent out a couple of packets at the end of last week, and have made a short list and long list of galleries to contact in the coming months. I'm hoping to make more contacts in February - I was busy meeting other deadlines in January!

2. Complete 100 paintings.

This month I completed nine paintings which puts me right on track for this goal - 1 24x30", 1 18x24", 1 16x20", 2 14x18", 1 12x16", 1 11x14", 1 9x12", 1 8x10". One of them is probably destined for the trash pile, but that's okay - it was a learning experience. So - 9 down, 91 to go!

3. Sell enough work to pay our mortgage.

So far so good on this one. Just gotta keep the paintings selling on a regular basis (see goal #1)!

4. Update painting database and financial records monthly.

So far I'm behind on this one. I got through about 80% of my 2007 accounting this month (starting from scratch) and made a spreadsheet for 2008. I have all of my earnings/receipts organized for this month, so I just have to enter them in my spreadsheet to see how things look this month - I'm planning to get this done early next week.

5. Race in a minimum of three 5k's.

I've already changed my focus here and decided to train for a sprint triathlon this summer instead. I get bored just running, and then I quit, so I'm going to do the tri thing to keep me interested. So far so good - I was even disciplined enough to go to the pool last night in a snowstorm, when I would have been much happier going to bed!

In general, I think I'm doing pretty well so far. Knowing that I'm going to watch these goals monthly has really helped this month with my productivity.

In other news, I just found out that I got two paintings accepted into the Salon International show at the Greenhouse Gallery in San Antonio in April. I've got another opening to attend the same night, so I won't be able to attend, but I'm jazzed to be a part of such a high quality show!

Tomorrow I'm off to Estes Park for the weekend to scrapbook and hang out with some friends. This will be my first time leaving Aspen at home and going somewhere on my own - Nate and I have gone on a couple weekend trips without her, but this is the first time I'll have some quality girl time since she was born! I'm excited to get her baby book done so I can stop feeling like a bad mom...

2008 Goals

"Looks Like Rain"
Oil on Panel
9x12"
2007

Now that it's 2008, it's time to come up with some goals for this year. I've been up in the mountains all week with plenty of time to think about what my goals should be, but no computer access to post them so that they're official. I always feel like posting my goals here makes me more accountable, so here they are:

1. Get my work into three more galleries.

This is my top goal for the year. I need to increase both sales and exposure to my work, and expanding my gallery representation is a good way to do it. As part of this goal, I need to make sure that a month doesn't go by without me making an effort to contact new galleries.

2. Complete 100 paintings.

Part of having a successful art career is consistency and productivity. Having a realistic goal for number of paintings is a good way for me to make sure I'm not being lazy. Oh, and anything smaller than 8x10 doesn't count toward the total number.

3. Sell enough work to pay our mortgage.

I think I did this in 2007, but I haven't run my numbers yet so who knows. Anyhow, the point is to make sure that my art business is contributing to the household finances.

4. Update painting database and financial records monthly.

I'm woefully behind on my records and accounting for 2007. In the future, I need to take one day per month to update all of my records so that I have a clear picture of how my business is doing as the year progresses.

5. Race in a minimum of three 5k's.

This is just a personal goal to help me get myself back in shape. My first ski day of the year last week convinced me that I need to do a better job of staying active - don't want my legs to be burning after only a half day on the slopes!!

I'm going to status these goals monthly to keep me on track, and I'm looking forward to a good year!!

Another Year Gone

"Sunlight and Shadow"
Oil on Panel
18x24"
2007

Wow - I can't believe it's already the end of 2007! As usual, this year has flown by. The nice thing is that I can say that without feeling bad because it flew by while I was spending my time doing what I wanted to be doing, FINALLY!

Anyhow, I'm a goal person, and last January I posted what turned out to be somewhat ambitious 2007 goals for this first-time mom. Here's how I did:

Art Goals:

1. Expand gallery representation for my landscapes outside of the Denver area. Specifically, obtain representation in at least 3 of the following art markets: Scottsdale, Santa Fe, Jackson, Aspen, Breckenridge.

Um, no.

This was a bit ambitious considering that my main accomplishment for the year was to figure out how to still paint while taking care of a baby. However, I do have representation outside of the Denver area now, so I guess I made the first part of this goal. In addition to showing at Angler Art in Denver, I've got paintings at Elkhorn Art Gallery in Winter Park now. This works out well since they're just up the road from where Nate is building houses - if we end up moving up there in 2008, I'll have a local gallery! I haven't even tried to find representation out of state - that'll have to be a goal for 2008.

2. Double my 2006 revenue from painting sales.

I haven't crunched the numbers yet, but I'm going to say that this didn't happen either. I definitely increased my revenue over 2006, but I know I didn't double it.

3. Enter at least two of the following juried shows: OPA National Exhibition, OPA Central Regional Exhibition, Arts for the Parks, Salon International.

DONE! I entered the OPA National and the Salon International. I got into the OPA show and won an Award of Excellence, which more than made up for the fact that I was rejected by the Salon show!

4. Enter and participate in at least one plein air event.

DONE! I participated in Estes Park Plein Air in August. Overall, I'm a little lukewarm about the experience. I think that if I do a plein air event in the future, it will have to have fewer artists and be in a better art market. I like to paint on location, but I don't think I'll ever be spending my summers participating in one event after another - these events are a lot of effort!

Personal Goals:

1. Get back into shape post-pregnancy - specifically, be fit enough to complete either the Steamboat Springs 1/2 Marathon or 5430 Sprint Triathlon in June.

Ha! Yeah right. Actually, I made some decent progress until I got a nasty IT band injury in July, which made it painful to even hike for the rest of the summer. It's finally better, so I'm starting slowly, AGAIN.

2. Have fun and enjoy being a mom!

DONE! I did have fun this year, and being a mom has been such a blessing. I can't even begin to express how nice it is to finally be living the life I want to lead. It more than makes up for the fact that I barely met any of my goals for the year!

Anyhow, normally I'd be a bit peeved about not meeting so many goals, but this year has been full of new experiences for me, and I had no way to know how I was going to handle everything. Alyson Stanfield always suggests taking stock of one's successes at the end of the year, and I think this year is as good as any to start that habit. In no particular order (and mostly just to remind myself that I made some progress this year) here are my 2007 accomplishments:

• Had work published in March '07 issue of American Artist
• In conjunction with the article, participated in group show at the Forbes Galleries in NYC
• Sold all of my paintings in the show before the opening
• Had the painting "First Light" accepted into the OPA National show
• Attended the OPA show which was probably the most useful art event I've ever attended
• Received the Utrecht Award of Excellence at the OPA show, which effectively paid for my art supplies for the rest of the year (definitely a bonus!)
• Held my first solo show at Angler Art in Denver
• Officially quit my engineering job at Washington Group
• Visited New York City, Houston, Fredericksburg, Aspen, Steamboat Springs, Estes Park, and Telluride
• Maintained my sanity when we decided that 2007 was the year to quit both of our jobs and move, all while adjusting to being parents for the first time

Overall, it was a good year and I've learned a lot that I'll take with me into 2008. Guess it's time to start thinking of my goals for next year...

Already Blowing My Resolutions

"First Light"
Oil on Canvas
18x24"
2007




Warning - this is really just a rant!

I am so cranky right now. One of my goals for the New Year was to enter paintings in a select number of shows that I pick specifically because I feel that they provide good exposure for my work, and lines on my resume. The first deadline was for the OPA National Show, due today.

I wanted to do a new painting for the show, so I had my mom watch Aspen while I painted a few afternoons, and managed to rush through finishing the painting above. It's actually a larger version of a painting I did last year, that I wished I had done a bit larger to start with.

Anyhow, I finished the painting two weeks ago, photographed it, had slides overnighted to me, and put together my entry last weekend. Because it was due today and had to be mailed to Illinois, and because Monday was a holiday, I was uneasy about sending it regular mail. Unfortunately, OPA uses a PO box so you can't send your entry by Fedex or UPS, and they require that it be sent in a business size envelope, so I couldn't send it USPS express mail. I settled for the best I could do and paid to send it by priority mail. I figured if I sent it priority mail on Tuesday it would be there by today no problem, right??

WRONG.

I just checked the tracking code they gave me and found out my envelope has been MISROUTED, and that they will try to deliver it as soon as possible. I paid extra to send the thing priority mail, and the freaking USPS managed to misroute it!!

So now it won't get there today, and OPA will return it to me unopened, and I'll be out $50 from paying for slides, paying overnight shipping, and paying for priority mail. Grrr....

So, that's one show I won't be entering this year - guess I'd better find another. I'm so mad at the U.S. postal service right now!

Here We Go Again - 2007...

"Before the Snow Flies"
16x20"
2007





Since I went to the effort at tracking my goals for 2006, and it seemed to do a decent job of keeping me on track, I think it's worth the effort to outline my goals for 2007. I wouldn't necessarily call these New Year's Resolutions, since that brings to mind images of the hundreds of people who inundate the treadmills at the gym for the first few weeks of January every year. They're goals that I intend to track and stick with, even if they don't get completed within the 2007 calendar year.

Art Goals:

1. Expand gallery representation for my landscapes outside of the Denver area. Specifically, obtain representation in at least 3 of the following art markets: Scottsdale, Santa Fe, Jackson, Aspen, Breckenridge.

2. Double my 2006 revenue from painting sales.

3. Enter at least two of the following juried shows: OPA National Exhibition, OPA Central Regional Exhibition, Arts for the Parks, Salon International.

4. Enter and participate in at least one plein air event.

Personal Goals:

1. Get back into shape post-pregnancy - specifically, be fit enough to complete either the Steamboat Springs 1/2 Marathon or 5430 Sprint Triathlon in June.

2. Have fun and enjoy being a mom!

My art goals are mostly focused on expanding the market for my artwork. The first is going to be my biggest focus this year - the bottom line is that I need more than one gallery selling my work. To that end, I need to continue to enter respectable juried shows to build on my resume, and I need to spend consistent time in the studio to be able to support more than one gallery selling my paintings. The second goal is aimed at growing my business from a hobby to a career. I'm focusing on revenue rather than profit this year because growing my revenue means getting my name out there, which might require more resources initially (advertising, etc.). The last goal of participating in a plein air event is just a means of expanding my experience. I'd like to see if the plein air scene is something I'd enjoy participating in, and use it as a means to meet more artists.

As for the personal goals, I'd like to get my fitness back in the first half of the year. In 2005, I was in the best shape of my life and completed a bunch of triathlons and road races. I pretty much lost all that while being pregnant in 2006. I'd like to get it back mainly so that I can be fit enough to enjoy the things I love to do - I want to be able to climb a few 14ers this summer, which wouldn't happen at my current level of fitness. Not to mention that being in shape gives me more energy to tackle everything else. The second is kind of general, but it's just a reminder to enjoy my first year as a mom and spend some time having fun. Not everything that's worth something in life can be measured!

2006 in Review

"Sunset, Mt. Baldy" - Oil on Canvas, 24x36". This is one of two paintings I've managed to complete since Aspen was born. I started the underpainting for it back in July - don't ask me why I waited until now to complete it. Maybe I just wanted to prove to myself that I can still tackle a decent sized painting when I'm taking care of an infant?

I can’t believe it’s New Year’s Eve already! 2006 has gone by in a blur and now it’s just a few hours until 2007. Overall, 2006 was a great year. Looking back, it’s hard to comprehend how much my life has changed in just 12 months. Last year, I posted my goals for the year here – now it’s time to see how well I did here:

1) Obtain gallery representation for my landscape paintings

DONE. A good friend of mine knew the owners of a gallery in Denver that was on my short list of galleries to contact about representation. She stopped by the gallery one day and showed them my website. Apparently they were just being nice when they agreed to look at it, since they have people showing them the work of friends and relatives all the time, and 99% of the time the work sucks. But they looked, and they liked my work, and they told her to have me call them. So I did, and a couple weeks later I took in nine paintings for them to have a look at in person. They took all nine and sold seven within the month, and thus started my art career!

I’m really thankful not only to have obtained representation, but to have started with a gallery that does a great job of selling my work. Being able to have an income from art this year has given me the confidence to take a bigger leap in 2007 and make it my job.

2) Get a painting accepted to the Arts for the Parks competition or an Oil Painters of America show.

DONE. I had a painting accepted to the OPA show, which was a huge deal to me. I wasn’t able to make it to the opening, which was kind of a bummer, but my painting won an award at the show, much to my surprise.

I never bothered to enter the Arts for the Parks show. Over the past few years, the show has leaned more and more toward wildlife art and more photorealistic work, and I didn’t feel that my more painterly style would be very successful in the show. Not to mention the fact that I didn’t have a painting of a national park handy…

3) Find the right piece of property to buy in Steamboat Springs so Nate and I can eventually build the mountain cabin we’ve been dreaming about for years.

Well, we did buy property in Steamboat Springs - three lots, to be exact. But we won’t have that cabin anytime soon.

Our purchase of property morphed from buying a lot for a future cabin to buying three lots and building spec homes on all three (Nate’s big project of the year). At this point, all three lots have houses on them. One is completely finished, two still have some work to do, and all three are officially on the market. Hopefully they’ll all sell early in 2007. Maybe we’ll use the proceeds to build that cabin in the mountains someday – who knows…

4) Think about having kids (yes, think about it – I’m not committing to anything here)

DONE. Amazing how I went from “think about having kids” to having a 6 week old baby in the span of a year! I had a relatively uneventful pregnancy and an easy birth, and now I have a beautiful little girl who has changed my life. Sometimes I think I could just stare at her all day. My days no longer revolve around me, and I’m fine with that - at this point, I can’t think of anything more important than taking care of her.

5) Swim 200,000 yards (swam ~80,000 in 2005, which wasn’t nearly enough considering that I love the water)

Not even close. I swam 35,000 yards this year, which means I only made it to the pool something like 20 times. Oops!! I’ll use pregnancy as my excuse – I was tired and busy and just didn’t feel like taking the time to swim most nights. I know, pathetic. Hopefully I’ll do better on the fitness front in 2007.

Another New Year!

This morning I took a look through my triathlon training log from this time last year, and realized that a lot has changed in a year. Now that I’m a week and a half into 2006, I figure it’s time to review 2005 and set a few goals for this year (I’m such a good procrastinator that I don’t even make New Year’s Resolutions until after the New Year!).

So, to recap 2005, I present the good, the bad, and the ugly:

The Good:

• Went to Maui for a week with Nate to celebrate our 5th wedding anniversary and had a fabulous time (saying we’ve been married 5 years still makes me feel old – I keep having to remind myself I’m only 27…)
• Spent a ton of time in the mountains, including weekend trips to Steamboat Springs, Vail, and Aspen and a 5-day trip to Telluride.
• Hiked to some beautiful places that I’ve never been before, and spent some great nights sleeping under the stars.
• Got a big promotion at work and transitioned from staring at my computer all day to managing people (bit of a mixed blessing, actually, but more on that later…)
• Increased my triathlon training time and distances, and met some cool new people in the process. Cut 14 minutes off my Danskin Triathlon time from 2004, even with a foot injury that kept me slow on the run.
• Made a ton of progress with my painting. Had a great time in a 4-day painting workshop with Jay Moore in Rocky Mountain National Park, and finally made some progress toward a landscape portfolio.
• Finally learned to golf so I can hang out with Nate more often.

The Bad:

• Worked too much. I started the year working overtime for an awful project manager, and managed to end the year working OT on a different project. I got a promotion mid-year which completely stressed me out all through September, October, and November. Learned that I have no desire to climb the corporate ladder!
• Ended up with a nasty case of extensor tendonitis in my foot and had to cut my triathlon season short after training my butt off all spring.
• Didn't manage any backpacking trips - just hiking and camping. It's just not the same when you don't get away from everything!

The Ugly:

• This time last year my Dad had just had quadruple bypass surgery for his heart, and my mom was healing from a nasty broken shoulder. Started off the year with way too many evenings in the hospital, hoping everyone would end up healthy. Luckily they did, and I’m thankful they caught my Dad’s heart blockages before they caused a heart attack!

My favorites of 2005:

• Best Book: “Searching for God Knows What” – Donald Miller
• Best CD: “In Between Dreams” – Jack Johnson
• Best Movie: Tough to decide, but probably the new Harry Potter (Goblet of Fire)
• Best Race: 5430 Sprint Triathlon, Boulder, Colorado (great organization and course!)
• Best Trip: Definitely Maui. Can’t beat laying around on the beach with a margarita in hand!

Luckily the good outweighs the bad and the ugly, but it was a stressful year and I’m kind of glad to see it go. I’m hoping that 2005 will be the year that I do the following:

• Obtain gallery representation for my landscape paintings
• Get a painting accepted to the Arts for the Parks competition or an Oil Painters of America show.
• Find the right piece of property to buy in Steamboat Springs so Nate and I can eventually build the mountain cabin we’ve been dreaming about for years.
• Think about having kids (yes, think about it – I’m not committing to anything here)
• Swim 200,000 yards (swam ~80,000 in 2005, which wasn’t nearly enough considering that I love the water)

There, now they’re all in writing so I’m committed. Here’s to a great 2006!!