Looking back over 2023 I swear I painted 2 times all year long. Tucked away in sketchbooks, desk drawers, baskets, and plastic bins was over 60 gouache paintings and at least 3 portfolio projects I had forgotten about. So imagine my surprise when I discovered the truth about my productivity. These are a few of the art related accomplishments I’m proud of or surprised by.

Gouache Skills Development

Getting the water to paint ratio for gouache has been getting easier. I can get the desired consistency for the techniques I want to use more consistently then I have in the past. I’m still a huge fan of texture in my work, but now the paint saturation looks more uniform and vibrant instead of looking ashy. I’m also noticing a color palette, motifs, subjects, and paint marks begin to form, I’m looking forward to seeing how these things develop further in 2024.

Restarting the Blog

In 2023 I started blogging again and managed to write over 5 new posts. I know it’s not a lot but I’m proud of starting. After a lot of brainstorming and research I have a lot of ideas and blog posts I want to test out in 2024. I’m curious to see how they will be received by the community and I hope you’ll all like it.

What are some of your 2023 highlights?