The Year That Was 2014

Another odd year with ups and downs.  I'll use the usual categories to break it all down.

Prints- Another year where events conspired to keep me from getting a lot of work done.  I did pull new copies of some old blocks, but in the end I only completed three new prints- a train image for a specific show, a new saint for my nephew, and the most recent Christmas card.

Shows- I missed out on would have been my first show of the year when a few days below zero killed my car battery and I couldn't deliver the work.  However, I did still show 11 pieces in 6 different shows this year, not including the small works I had in the WUF/craft fair in Belmar.

Publicity- One small bit that I ran across by accident, a nice little write up of my Belmar woodcut course that ran in the TriCty News, a weekly paper published in Asbury Park.

Awards- For the fourth time I received a juror's award at the annual Juried Art show at the Belmar Arts Council, this time winning the Graphic Arts category.  However, just a ribbon and a check, as they have discontinued the annual show for all the winners.

Firsts- A few new things through my involvement with the Belmar Arts Council.  I have contributed to the painting of traditional murals in the past, but this year I was part of a more modern system where the painting was put on cloth, and then we adhered the sections to a prepared wall- Belmar's train station.  That mural was related to a train themed show that I was asked to run.  I've handled shows before, but this time I was also asked to create the poster/postcard image that would be used to promote it.  The print show in Newark was my first time in that gallery.

Misc- This year the BAC had a first ever show devoted to work from current students, and I got a nice representation from my woodcut students. The sudden demise of Daniel Smith put me in a position where I need to find new materials and/or suppliers for my work.

The Studio- A rough year for our space.  It survived two hurricanes in recent years with no damage, but the exceptionally cold winter froze city pipes and let to a minor flood, which damaged nothing of mine, but forced Molly to get rid of a lot of art, and put the whole place into disarray for weeks.  I'm hoping for an off season without any natural disasters, which would be the first time in years if we pull it off.