Looking back at my paintings in 2023
We all sometimes have the impostor syndrome where we question our abilities and talents. In my daily life, doubts often creep in, especially regarding my art. Restarting my creative practice three years ago, after a decade-long hiatus from holding a paintbrush, posed a significant challenge. Yet, as I reflect on the paintings completed this year, I find myself genuinely pleased and proud of several milestones. Here are three highlights that stand out:
Completing my first sketchbook with paintings done on location
A key factor in maintaining a consistent creative routine has been my involvement in #urbansketching. I joined meet-ups with other artists to sketch around the city, and it helped me practice regularly. I'm part of the organizers of the events in DC, and I also joined folks in Madrid and New York. Carrying my sketchbook everywhere—whether I'm going to work, watching my daughter skate, or traveling with family—let me paint in all sorts of situations, like different weather, topics and places. So after almost 12 months with the same sketchbook I started my second one in July. Here are some of the sketches from my first sketchbook:
Launching My Etsy Store for art commissions
Establishing an Etsy store for art commissions has been a challenging but rewarding endeavor. Applying my digital production, SEO, and analytics skills, I optimized my store but there was a lot to learn.
I still can’t believe that I completed 47 commissions—ranging from coffee shops and restaurants to houses, castles, buildings, and hotels. What made this experience truly special was hearing the stories behind each place: a first date, a wedding venue, a first home, or a retirement occasion. Those stories are something that I was thinking while painting these pieces.
Creating my Illustration portfolio
One of my goals for this year was to learn more about creating illustrations. I took an illustration course in the spring semester with Steve Brodner at the School of Visual Arts (New York) and this experience significantly helped me step out of my comfort zone. It allowed me to develop a process, guiding me from an idea or emotion to a complete illustration in watercolor, followed by some editing in Photoshop. I'm still refining this process, and each illustration is a learning experience for me.
My favorite piece from this class involved imagining a cover for the New Yorker. The inspiration came from my visit to the Edvard Hopper exhibition at the Whitney Museum, which was incredibly crowded—something I hadn't seen in my more than fifteen years of working in museums. What I found interesting was the contrast between the artworks where Hopper's characters seemed lonely and the crowds viewing his work. After sharing the final illustration on my account, the Whitney Museum shared it on their social media platforms —that was a big deal!
Here are some pictures of the final illustration and my process to get here.
As the year ends, I know I still need to get better at many things like drawing people. I'll save that and other goals for 2024. Here's to more art adventures! 🎨✌️
