December 2024 – Reflections & Seed Planting for 2025

Are you ready for 2025?                     What is even being asked by this question?

The question implies an annual opportunity to set new goals for our life going forward. For me, because the New Year of the Gregorian calendar is not inherently connected to nature, I prefer to use the Winter Solstice as the REAL New Year… in truth, many ancient cultures observe the New Year beginning with the Spring Equinox (~March 21), but the shortest day/longest night of December 21, 2024, is the time to set the seeds of what we want to Spring forth come March 2025.

Regardless of the exact timing, the essence is the same. We reflect on this past year (2024), where we are at now (emotionally, mentally, physically), and put our desired changes into the universal energetic grid to activate the process of desired changes.

Of course, the aspects of our being listed above are intertwined, and in essence, intended to serve our soul’s purpose. Thus far, I’ve learned that one’s essence comes alive when one follows the intuitive prompts that nourishes the triad of well-being (body, heart, mind).  Simultaneously, it’s worth remembering all aspects are always ever-changing.

I’ve noticed that all of the ways I continuously shift how I engage with life, it continues to change faster; we are really being asked to keep our dancing feet primed, ready to shift and be in the flow during this time of great change.

This is likely why my creativity as seen in my art this past year has varied so much.  It is a time of ongoing exploration… throwing spaghetti at the wall and see what sticks. So, this is a good time to reflect on what I’ve created and going forward, to put more energy into what seems to be working.

I’ll review, approaching it from the framework of Quarters, although it was a continuum…

Q1 – I was in New Zealand, (in an art residency), exploring a new media (silk screen printing), using images from photos I’d taken during travels in Asia in 1987. While similar imagery appears in recent works (doors, hands in gestures, lotus), they ‘looked’ quite different.  Thus, some was simply expanding my visual lexicon and a lot resulted from using vastly different media (inks/crayons verses wax) and the methods (layers with masked out zones, rather than fusion of colored waxes with a blow torch). Upon arrival back home to the USA, I wanted more ‘print’ layers to finish the many versions of unfinished pieces I’d started. I ended up doing yet another technique, gelli plate printing. These works are collages; always a fun, intuitive approach.

 

 

 

 

Q2 – Through the summer, I continued to work on these pieces, and wrote several newsletters about the various approaches I used.  Please go to my website blog to read any of these you may be interested in https://www.debbiemathewart.com/art-notes/  (May through August 2024)

This grouping of art looks different than what I’ve created in the last 8+ years. Printmaking taught me a lot about layering: it’s opened me up to thinking about how to render levels through the background –> foreground in a more nuanced way. I hope to use these insights within the wax layering process, perhaps making it more atmospheric. Here are 2 more examples of this Series I’ve yet to mount and catalogue. If you have any names to suggest for these, please email me your suggestions.

Q3 – A favorite regional gallery sent out an invitation for a themed exhibition they intended to show  (currently up at the Confluence Gallery in Twisp, WA), which spurred my creativity and desire to get back to the wax medium I adore.  I dove in, beginning with much smaller panels, so I could experiment more freely. Using the momentum of different coloring media (oil sticks/paints and powders), and layering colors on the wax, (warm heat gun fusion in-between).  Xerox image transfers allowed for more realism. I no longer used wax only for color and images waxed onto the surface.  I’ve shown many of these latest works on Instagram, and highlighted this Series in both September and November newsletters.  I explored various ways to color on wax and on the paper images, exploring transparent to opaque layers.

Q4      I expanded experimenting within the ‘Flight Pattern’ Series above, and continued to connect with community through social media (reels, posts on Instagram; monthly newsletters) and was a part of 2 exhibitions in the

Autumn. Here is the evidence.

In addition, I sold some smaller pieces to local friends, the support of which I’m deeply grateful.

Now looking back, at least on the visual & technical aspect of what I’ve created, I recognize a few things:

1. I enjoy the encaustic media due to its luscious smell, textural possibilities and the visual depth of field possible with wax.
2. I’m content to continue exploring the subtle coloring effects possible with ‘oil painting’ on wax.
3. The ‘realistic’ imagery possible with Xerox transfers has allowed for a more obvious link between ‘nature’ and the metaphysical realm; I like that it is more accessible for the viewer.

And for the New Year Seeds I’m Planting:

1. I will complete the NZ Series of works with descriptions and reflect more deeply on the aspects that help expand my ‘vision, and use these in future pieces.
2. I plan to continue the methods and media as developed in the Q3 time, (for which I honor all I learned during NZ printmaking residency): Xerox transfers of ‘nature’ and colored oils on wax.
3. I intend to develop more art community.  This includes, but is not limited to:
   1. Reaching out more to past patrons in various ways; they are really an important part of a support network to keep me inspired. I’d like them to communicate through social networking, which means…If you’d like to be on my VIP list, please email me.
   2. Researching where interested folks may be, as I do not see many on Instagram, which is where I post the most often.  Any suggestions?
   3. Looking and exploring more ways to sell my artwork: it’s so vital to get the art out of my possession.  I intend to shift my attitude from ‘I’m bothering folks’ to “I’m inspiring folks’.

So, there you have it; an overview with a discerning eye and mind to realize what has shifted, and where I want to go from here… at least in my artistic life.

Please, let me know about your insights:

1. What would you add to help me evolve?
2. What seeds do you intend to plant for your 2025?

Happy Holidays.  I’m wishing you a healthy, joyful & peace filled 2025.  😘🫶🏼🥳