It's fashionable among my artsy friends to poo-poo resolutions as a silly waste of time, or an invitation to beat ourselves up later when we fail to uphold those resolutions. But I like to have milestones- clean start times for new projects, reinvigorated plans, moments of reflection and course correction. I use my birthday, academic years, fiscal years, New Years, whatever, to take stock, count the inventory of successes to repeat and mistakes to avoid. 

It helps that my resolutions are not usually as specific as weight loss, going to the gym, spending x-amount of time drawing or walking or whatever. I go to the gym regularly and walk everywhere and draw all day as it is. My resolutions are more general: Be more candid. Suffer fewer fools. Be present. Worry less. Play more. Things like that.

Looking back on the year, one of the best things I did for myself was to take a beginning class at Jet City Improv. Not a social person generally, I pushed myself out of my comfort zone and got a lot out of the class, which I documented in a 20-page mini comic available at etsy.com/shop/StevenReddy. I'll be starting the second class in the series in a week.

Through improv I met the multi-talented Anjl Rodee who teaches popular painting classes through Vertical. I sketched her studio one afternoon as we sat and chatted casually about art and life in general: 

After picking her brain I started my own workshops. This months's class will be held on January 28th and has only two spots left: https://www.verlocal.com/event/seattle-drawing-course:

I continue to meet with the Urban Sketchers, of course. I forgot my sketchbook and drew this in my lined Moleskine writing journal:

Stimson-Green Mansion where the room with the most satisfying clutter was the bathroom:

Here's Swanson's Nursery and the Georgetown Trailer Park Mall, where I can see the influence of all the personal diary comics I've been drawing:

 

The comic-style journaling I've been doing in the new book was originally just for me, not to be shared. But it's not in me to hide my light under a bushel so I end up sharing these pages as well:

My classes at the Gage continue to go well. In addition to the still-life class and diary comics classes I've added a location sketching class. It's been good to take the classes outside to draw on location. Here's Suzallo Library at the UW and Café Ladro on Capitol Hill:

 

I have a small show opening January 15th at Café Lulu where I'll be showing new 30" x 22" original watercolors:

 

 

 

I was offered a book deal but I don't want to jinx it by saying much more. I should be getting the contract this month for a 150-page how-to, inspirational kind of book with 400 drawings. My manuscript is due in May. There are a couple of other pending art-related things on the horizon, but I'll say no more...

Drawing has always been a pressure-free labor of love that I did for my own amusement. Now that it's my "job" my need for selfish, non-commercial diversion has kicked in so I splurged on a 1962 Fender Telecaster and can't put it down.

All work and no play makes Steve a dull boy!

Steve