HAPPY NEW YEAR!

January on Rich Mountain
graphite and colored pencil on paper
6 x 6 inches
copyright 2007 by Ann Thompson Nemcosky









Here is my brief review of 2007 and new art goals for 2008. When transferring to my 2008 desk calendar I looked at my list of goals for 2007 that I had hastily jotted down last January and my art goals were to 'make art'. Yep. Just that simple.

Well. Here's what happened with that. Last year I received a set of 24 Prismacolor pencils for Christmas. I had previously been doing graphite pencil drawings and was thinking it was time I returned to making art on a more regular basis after many years of doing very little art work. In fact, over those past eight or nine years I had completed only as many artworks. It was all hit or miss. Usually misses. But I wanted to get back to making art. Drawing with graphite was a method I settled on as that fit my life, with no studio space and very little free time it is portable and there are no timing issues. After spotting an article on colored pencil artists I was intrigued and put colored pencils on my Santa list.

So it was just about a year ago that I first tried colored pencil on the drawing shown above. That led to more research about colored pencil techniques and colored pencil artists. After having a few false starts trying to get back into painting over those years I had finally found a way to make art that fit my limited space and time. Although I enjoy drawing in graphite my background is in painting and here was a way to incorporate color into my work.

Purple Cone Flower
colored pencil on paper
5 x 7 inches
copyright 2007 by Ann Thompson Nemcosky

My research into colored pencil was exciting for me. I began practicing with this new medium. Last spring I discovered and joined the online group, WetCanvas, where I jumped in with the monthly challenges on the colored pencil forum. I started keeping a sketch book again. After receiving a camera for Mother's Day I began collecting images for photo references. During the course of the year I set monthly goals for my drawing. One month I concentrated on flowers. Then trees and later skies studies. I began this blog last August and find keeping up with posting to be very motivating for keeping up with my art work. Then in October I joined Everyday Matters and began working on my drawing skills some more. The support I receive here and through these groups is so encouraging and I truly appreciate every bit of it.

Whalehead Sound
colored pencil on pastel paper
7 x 5 inches
copyright 2007 by Ann Thompson Nemcosky

So here I am. I did complete a good amount of art works this past year. Now it's time for setting art goals for 2008.

1. Complete one finished colored pencil piece per month.

2. Complete one sketchbook piece per month experimenting with various media.
Move out of my comfort zone here and play.

3. Work through the Everyday Matters drawing challenges working
in graphite in my small sketchbook. The purpose here to work on
my drawing from life skills, gaining confidence.

4. Develop ACEOs for sales.

5. Enter six shows with colored pencil works.

6. Re-design and update my art website

7.And of course, continue with this blog and
posting as regularly as possible.

Looking Up
colored pencil and Neocolor II on pastel board
6 x 12 inches
copyright 2007 by Ann Thompson Nemcosky

And that's it. I have the habit of setting goals too high and too many and then becoming overwhelmed into inactivity. So I have tried to keep these very reasonable considering I am also homeschooling my 9 year old daughter, keeping her active in various activities and still getting free-lance design work from time to time. I need the design work, well my pocket book does, and homeschooling is my primary job right now. But I am also preparing for the possibility that I just might be able to get somewhere with my artwork. That's plan A anyway. There is no plan B. Just another one of those impossible things I like to believe each day before breakfast.