Art-Related New Year’s Resolutions

The new year is a time of renewal and for setting goals. Some Anderson Artists Guild members shared their art-related New Year’s resolutions:

Carrie Gibson

I've been working with digital photography for nearly five years. Recently, some of my photographs have inspired me to begin painting again. I want to continue with photography and explore paint and mixed media more. But I'm not going to resolve to keep my work area picked up, for I usually fall back on that one. I do need to go through the frames that I keep purchasing in thrift stores. They are taking up too much space in the storage room.

Evelyn Beck

I received an Emerging Artist Grant from the South Carolina Arts Commission, which will fund the creation of six pieces featuring South Carolina bridges, so that will be my focus for the first half of the new year. I’m also interested in applying to some new opportunities, such as an Arctic expedition for artists. Even if the odds of success are low, I learn much with each application. And the fiber art group I’m part of has four regional shows scheduled, so I need to get busy creating more artwork.

Kathy Moore

In 2022 I will continue to experiment and take risks with my work. It will be a year of earnestly searching for innovative ways to convey an idea.

Sherron Fergason

My resolution is to teach painting lessons, to paint plein air with a group, and to take more classes. I am in hopes of completing my website by 2022 and meeting more people in my new community.

Diana Carnes

I have a weekly commitment to OLLI / Clemson in Patrick Square; I am responsible for the Art Interest Group that meets Mondays from 1 to 3 pm (stop in and check us out!) and resolve to discover new forms and approaches to "art" for us to learn and experiment with! We are an open, hands-on group and welcome input and demonstrations! We are preparing for a show of our work at the Cheeseham Center in the spring of 2022. We need new members and fresh ideas! You can contact me at dianacmail@aol.com.

Debbie Bzdyl

After a couple years thinking about it, I finally signed up for the Art Business Academy taught by Jason Horejs, owner of Xanadu Gallery in Scottsdale, Arizona. It’s an eighteen-month course where he personally evaluates your art for quality, consistence, presentation, pricing, etc. He helps you build a strong digital portfolio, bio, artist statement, resumé to present to gallery owners, then teaches you how to research and approach galleries for representation. There are 36 sessions in the course. I can’t remember all the topics, but it is pretty intense. Putting myself “out there” to be evaluated by the owner of a blue-chip gallery at first felt a bit intimidating, but I finally realized that this is the best way for me to take my art career to the next level. I’m only five sessions into the academy, and already Jason’s evaluation of my art has been well worth it. I’m already much more confident about the quality and consistency of my work. And I’m learning a lot about how gallery owners and collectors think and what they look for in the art they want to represent and own.

Sue West

During the COVID shutdown, I thought it would be a great time to try plein air painting. I studied equipment and consulted other plein air painters. My equipment arrived all shiny and new. But to this day it remains in the shipping box it arrived in!!! Thanks for the gentle reminder to try something new.

Samantha Morris

I just graduated from college, so I’m ready to get back into making art for myself versus for school. My goal is to get back into doing more stuff I used to do before studying animation and to get my artwork out there.

Shea Money

Basically my goal for next year is to start working on all the ideas I thought weren’t possible. The Artist U seminar at the Arts Center had us create a list of goals or opportunities. I did that three years ago and have managed to cross all those off the list. I love making lists; it’s a great way to reflect on how we progress. I want to create that goals list again and reach high and dream big and make it happen, to go for the gusto.