Is it 2011 already? I can hardly believe it. Where did 2010 go? It seems like each year goes by faster and faster. Well, no worries, since it’s a new year, it’s time for some new photographic resolutions. This is something I like to do every year: take stock of where I am, where I want to go, and maybe blab a little bit about what’s on tap over the course of the next year.
2011 is already shaping up to be full, busy, crazy, and I’m *so* looking forward to it.
For starters, I’ve already told you about my upcoming foray into teaching, Look for 2011 to be a year in which I start teaching, start workshops, and put on the educator’s hat a lot more. I’m really looking forward to this too. After having spent the better part of two decades behind a lens, it’s about time I got in front of a chalkboard and started to share some of my expertise, so look for that to happen starting over the next few weeks and probably continuing over the course of the year.
I’ve been dabbling with a lot of different media over the course of 2010 and I expect that to continue but I expect a sort of convergence to start to take place in 2011. Allow me to explain. In 2011, I will continue to draw, paint, take pictures, but I expect my vision to become more focused. I have spend a bit of time experimenting and dabbling with different things, playing really, and now I am fully expecting myself to get down to business in 2011. I’m challenging myself to come up with several bodies of work and get together some new material for some shows. I don’t expect it all to be photographic material, no, I’m anticipating some drawing, pastels, encaustics, and the works, but I do expect it to be a more unified vision. More focused work, regardless of medium, if that makes sense (and, if it doesn’t, no worries, as this will become more clear over the course of the year.) I’m actually starting to shoot stuff so that I can wax it, draw stuff so that I can shoot it, paint stuff so that I can, well, you get the idea. I expect this convergence to continue throughout 2011 and I’m looking forward to making it work. I want to watch this unfold. Pulling it all together is a fun thing for me. Realizing a vision, not just playing around with a bunch of varied new media anymore. It’s high time I pumped out some work and that’s what I’m going to do starting in 2011, so expect that to continue over the course of the year. This year, I expect to drive a few different bodies of work into maturity and start to pull together a larger show. I expect to be able to send my work out for a one person show as soon as I’m ready with that. I’m also excited about my new work, as my new stuff has a certain maturity of vision that was lacking up until now. Seems all of these new directions are really taking shape in 2011 and I am excited to start to see some of the results. I can already feel and see the beginnings of these things taking shape and it’s exciting for me.
As far as group shows, I’m probably going to do more of them this year, though they will probably be just as varied as they have been in prior years. I expect to do more in certain markets of the country, and I expect to start sending off different media for juried shows (not just photography) so look for that to happen soon (if it isn’t happening already.)
I’m going to upgrade equipment a lot this year. Expect me to fight with a new printer, a new camera (or two) and a host of different equipment. Also expect upgrades to my studio space, as I’m fleshing it out, although I can’t promise anything here as large and exciting as getting new camera gear. I do expect to get a new (working) laptop early in 2011 as well, so look for me to become more mobile.
Speaking of mobility, it’s a good thing I’m shaping up to get a new laptop, as I’m going to try to travel more this year. I anticipate taking a trip early in 2011 and then probably one or two more additional trips after that, so 2011 is shaping up already to be a busy year in travel. Looking forward to that, as I always love to travel and location shoots are always a challenge but so much fun for me.
I expect charity work to continue, so look for more shows like the 5×7 shows, maybe even the Heart Gallery again, and lots of additional work from me in this area. I want to really bring about some charity shows, as this is always fun for me and it’s much needed in the community.
2011 might very well be the year I see Cedar Park finally get a gallery and I might very well be one person who helps to make this happen. Look for me to possibly venture into the gallery space this year, if I can get it together and make things happen. I’m optimistic in this front and excited about what 2011 might bring in this regard, though no solid plans just yet, many things are in the works related to this and I expect one or more of them will happen in 2011.
In general, last year was a very “inward” year for me, in terms of making personal work and this year is shaping up to be a very “professional” year for me, in terms of doing work that’s out there, out in the market more, putting myself out there more, and moving on to bigger and better things. I expect this to continue-I expect to see 2011 find me busy, productive, doing a lot of shows, doing a lot of work, and getting down to what’s really happening. I expect my work to get out there more and I anticipate putting myself out there more as an artist.
I’m really excited, and I hope you are too, about the photographic possibilities of 2011. I look forward to sharing photographic work with the world in 2011, as well as sharing stories of the road and techniques with a new, wider audience, specifically my new students and fans across outlets like Facebook and Twitter.
Here’s wishing you continued photographic (and artistic) success in 2011. May your imagination dream it, your eyes see it, your camera capture it, your darkroom or computer process it gracefully, your flash memory or film supply remain endless, and your batteries forever charged in 2011. Keep the sun at your back, your eyes on the prize, and enjoy leading a life captured in pictures, it’s definitely one worth living. I hope 2011 finds you already snapping away and enjoying photographic success however you may define it.
Until next time…
