Year in Review 2022 blog cover
About Artist,  Art Event,  Artwork

Year in Review: 2022

It’s always interesting looking back over the year.  A lot of times we get lost in the day to day and in the things that we didn’t get done and forget just how much we’ve accomplished.  I find it really important to take time to review what happened – what worked and didn’t, what I’d like to carry forward into the new year and what I’ll leave behind.  It’s also interesting to look back each year to see how much things have changed and how I’ve grown as an artist.

New Art Works

This year I created an incredible 129 new pieces of art (my goal was 50).  Some of the series included:
-38 Sketchy Tree series
-11 little pumpkins
-31 adorable catober drawings

I also made a point to experiment more with different materials including mixing pen and acrylic paint, pen and inktense blocks, playing with mixed media, and making my own recycled paper.  

The subjects ranged from landscapes, to flowers and still lifes, to pets and self-portraits.  The overwhelming majority centered around nature in some way.

Summer Day on the Porch by Laura Jaen Smith. Acrylic landscape painting of porch of Mark Twain's Quarry Farm with a view out to the yard with trees and bushes
Summer Day on the Porch by Laura Jaen Smith
Establishing Roots by Laura Jaen Smith. Black and white ink drawing of trees with exposed roots near a creek from my Sketchy Trees series.
Establishing Roots by Laura Jaen Smith
Purple Crocus by Laura Jaen Smith. Ink drawing of black and white grass and leaves with purple crocuses
Purple Crocus by Laura Jaen Smith
Little Pumpkins by Laura Jaen Smith. Collection of nine small pumpkin paintings with different color backgrounds
Little Pumpkins (series) by Laura Jaen Smith
Ponytail by Laura Jaen Smith. Ink drawing of a black cat grooming a grey cat on a pink blanket
Ponytail by Laura Jaen Smith

Art Exhibitions

This year I participated in 19 exhibitions/events (which was over double from last year!) and I exhibited 67 pieces of art.  I expanded where I showed my art also – exhibiting in Geneva, Penn Yan, Perry, and Ithaca for the first times this year. 

Solo Exhibition at Vines of New York (in Geneva, NY)

In July I was the featured artist at Vines of New York Art Gallery in Geneva, New York!  I debuted my Sketchy Trees series at this show and also exhibited several of the waterfalls that helped inspire the series.  After the show I was invited to be a part of their main gallery year-round. 

Photo of Sketch Tree art statement and bio sign
Photograph of gallery wall at Vines of New York Art Gallery in Geneva, solo show, July Featured artist

Clemens & the Pen: Perspectives from the Porch (Community Arts of Elmira in Elmira, NY)

In the spring I participated in the exhibit from last year’s Quarry Farm visit, showing three new pieces – one painting and two plein air sketches inspired by the experience where Mark Twain used to spend his summers.  Later in the summer I was accepted to and participated in the fourth annual Perspectives from the Porch event.

Photograph of the porch at Quarry Farm in Elmira New York where Mark Twain spent his summers by Laura Jaen Smith
Photo of plein air drawing of the cauldron at Quarry Farm while looking out towards the scene

Juried Shows

I was accepted into 5 additional juried shows this year including:
-Annual Juried Show at Yates Center of the Arts in Penn Yan
-Self-Portrait Show at the ARTS Council of the Southern Finger Lakes in Corning
-Everyday Life Every Day Art at Cloud Croft Studios in Owego
-Annual Juried Show at the State of the Art Gallery in Ithaca
-Silver & Gold Exhibition at Tioga Arts Council in Owego

Photograph of gallery wall at the Arts Center of Yates County in Penn Yan NY
Photograph of gallery wall for the Self-Portrait Show at the ARTS Council of the Southern Finger Lakes
Photograph of gallery wall at State of the Art Gallery in Ithaca with three sketchy tree ink drawings on wall

Awards

I won third place at the Climate Change show at Community Arts of Elmira for my entry Lakeside Triptych.  The drawings were created from recycled paper made from ripped up old drawings.  They were finished with scraps of matboard and reused/thrifted frames. 

Photograph of Lakeside Triptych by Laura Jaen Smith. Three ink drawings created on recycled handmade paper framed in repurposed frames featuring scenes from Eldridge Park.

I was also selected as a recipient of the Creatives Rebuild New York Guaranteed Income program and I’m so grateful to how much it has helped to push my art further in the past few months.  

Blog Posts

I had the opportunity to write 54 blog posts this year!  The topics ranged from projects I worked on, to sharing monthly events, to art tips, and more.  Click on the post title to read any you’d like to revisit.

Other Highlights of 2022

Last year I expanded my team by bringing on a new Studio Assistant and three unexpected Art Interns (Meet the Team).  They’ve been such a big help in the studio and have really settled into their roles.  

Black cat helping with photo shoot
Photograph of two kittens - one black, one grey - embracing

I also took the time to enjoy watching the flowers bloom, growing a garden, spotting beautiful sunsets from my window, and finding inspiration in nature.

Photograph of cucumber plants sprouting in a greenhouse
Photograph of Wells Falls waterfall in Ithaca NY by Laura Jaen Smith
Photo of a colorful sunset with the silhouette of trees by Laura Jaen Smith

What's In Store for 2023

I’m excited to see what the next year brings.  I’m in the process of reviewing my goals and seeing what different opportunities are out there for the coming year (Let me know if you hear of something!).  I plan on starting to offer prints of some of my works, working more on the huge painting that I started now that things have calmed down, and bringing some other ideas to life.  

What are some of the things you’re excited about in the coming year?

Thank you for your support in 2022!

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