Annual review: my favourites out of all the art I made in 2024

Art is so subjective. I love that about art. And I appreciate a wide variety of kinds of art.

And also, as an artist, creating involves constantly practicing discernment. Each next creative move means saying yes to one choice and saying no to everything else I could do.

Looking back and asking myself, “What did I create that I love the most?” is a great way to tune into what I want to say more yesses to in 2025.

I made 105 new artworks in 2024 and these are my favourites.

and one last one from my sketchbook…

And here are the YESSES in these paintings that I want to take with me into 2025:

• embracing uncertainty, experimenting, playing, and being willing to take risks. And being willing to have much of this turn out badly. (I made at least another 50 artworks – probably much more – that I gesso-ed over, tore up for collage, or have sitting unfinished in my studio.)
• transparent, fluid mediums like ink, contrasted with thick, opaque mediums or drawing tools.
• big shapes or open spaces, contrasted with line work, small shapes, or fine textures.
• Layering of colours, shapes, lines, and different mediums.
• limited colour palettes. Vivid colours contrasted with muted colours. Warm colours contrasted with cool. Strong value contrasts.
• a sense of movement in the lines or brushstrokes.
• painting sensory experiences and showing how it feels rather than focusing on trying to describe how it looks.
• being inspired by nature, and especially water! And the intersection of internal and external landscapes – how being in nature changes me.
• and perhaps most importantly: finding ways to paint without thinking (harder than it sounds!)

What are you glad you said yes to in 2024 that you want to take forward and grow further in 2025?