New Year Ruminations

Contrary to the hopes of those who'd hoped the world would end by now, we find ourselves today on the cusp of another new year. For me personally, 2012 has been fairly eventful, so today I'd like to share with you some of the things I've done, and conclude this post with my resolutions for the coming year.

In terms of my job at Shelburne Museum, I've been lucky enough to curate not one, but two exhibitions. The first, called How Extraordinary!, dealt with travel and novelty in the 19th century, and used paintings and prints from the permanent collection.

South Gallery of the How Extraordinary! show. Anyone recognize Seal and Polar Bear?

The second, Time Machines: Rockets, Robots, and Steampunk, which I co-curated with Kory Rogers, Curator of Design Arts and my wonderful supervisor, looked at the eclectic world of science fiction. I curated the space travel gallery, but I also got to play with the other sections as well. Steampunk proved especially fun.

Some of the Soviet toys from the Space Gallery

The Space Gallery, complete with an original 1950s rocket ride.

The Mad Scientist room from the Steampunk section.

In terms of my art, 2012 will be remembered to me as the year in which I really started playing with multilayered prints. I'd experimented with monotypes in 2011, but this time year I began printing monotypes over my drypoints, adding another layer of complexity.

The Shelburne Farms: Elements series, the first series I made that really exploited the possibilities of layering.

Aside from making art, 2012 is also the year I started blogging, which helps me articulate my artistic intentions.

As for my personal life, I'll just say that I made new friends, reaffirmed old connections, and learned a great deal from all of them.

But now for 2013...

I never make a single, one-time resolution. Rather, I renew my dedication to ongoing resolutions, making modest but deliberate efforts towards living a more meaningful life.

For life in general, I always try to have a more positive outlook on things, something that's admittedly not always easy to do, but it's the effort that counts, right?

In terms of my art, I've committed to the following:

1. Being green: I always try to minimize the number of resources I consume, but in my excitement at the studio, I use more water and paper towels than I should. This year, I will commit to slowing down and being less profligate about my resources.

2. Content: Though I like having my work called whimsical, I sometimes think that it's trite and disconnected from the world at large. This year, I will execute at least one series that reflects some of the larger issues on my mind, such as the impact of climate change.

I don't know how your year has been, but you're welcome to share your reflections, resolutions, and other thoughts in the comment box below. I think we can agree that 2012 has had its fair share of happiness and sorrow, and that we're all probably ready to turn the page.

With that then, let's greet the new year with a hearty HUZZAH!!!