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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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?