The Eve of a New Year

Here it is!  It's the end of 2014.   I don't know about you, but I'm exhausted.   It's been a year full of wonderful moments, and also loads of challenges.   The best thing ever was adopting Buddy the Border Collie.  He joined our family on Jan 7th.  What a lot of love he's added to our household.  I'm still basking in the glow from receiving armloads of awards & ribbons with the Prairies show.  I'm still proudly exhausted from building a new studio classroom with my family.  My children have my old space back as their craft room, so they are thrilled.  I learned how to drywall this year.  I also learned how to curate.  Well... I am still learning of course.   I spent many enjoyable moments doing public demos and fibre art with children, and I spent weeks and weeks in utter distress because of a messy, studio-less existence while undergoing home renovations.  I feel like I completely missed out on the summer because of that, however the reward of a big bright new space with walls and doors is beyond my wildest dreams.  The few classes I've held so far have been terrific.  I love my new space.  Hard work has certainly paid off.

I travelled around Southern Saskatchewan and Alberta running classes and meeting such wonderful new people, from 'Dog River' to St. Albert. (A shout out to the fine folks in and around Roulleau / Weyburn!)  I was fortunate to secure gallery representation with the MacKenzie Art Gallery in Regina, and enjoyed a artist's showcase at Handmade House during the height of tourist season. 

Sounds all great, right? 

I haven't told you everything.  We have spent Thanksgiving through to Christmas having open houses in an attempt to sell our home.   We decided this was the right thing in an effort to downsize and relieve financial strain.  Once the decision was made, I grieved.  I actually felt like I died a little inside.  I had a lot of my friends and colleagues rooting for me to be able to keep my brand new studio.  Honestly, I think a few of them grieved for me too.  What serendipity for the year to wrap up with my first Arts Board grant from the province.   Phenomenal timing. 

We are now choosing to stay in our home and press on with business as usual.  We will all have to work a little harder, but also be more resourceful.  My three kids are thrilled to not have to change schools.   I'm happy to dig into my space for REAL now and make all these artful ideas in my head a reality.  I will call some classes in February for those of you who are so patiently waiting.  However, for the first month of the year I will need to focus on new work and getting the curated show together.  It's been really nice to connect with the artists whose pieces will be part of the show.   It's a very special exhibit indeed.  My challenge now is to create an impactful curatorial statement that will give the show it's proper and meaningful description. 

Thank you to everyone who supported me this year including the Saskatchewan Arts Board!   Thanks to those of you for all the ongoing commissions and invitations world wide.  2015 is certainly going to be something else!   Love and good wishes to you all in the coming new year.  xo