The New Year is one of my favorite holidays; it is a time ripe with opportunity and change. It’s a chance to start fresh, to discard the old and make way for the new. I have lots of plans for 2025, but before moving on I want to take some time to review this past year…
Illustrations of 2024
Looking back, I created more illustrations this year than I initially remembered. I was busy doing client work for much of the time, but in the moments that I was able to create personal work, I certainly did so. I admit that it has been a difficult year for me—mentally, emotionally, and at times physically. At the end of 2023 my illustrations had begun to take on darker tones and themes—this year, I sought to break from that descent, while still being authentic to where and who I am.
I’ll share some of my favorite illustrations below:
Comics
In January, I began working on concept art for The Rise of the Raidin by Susan L. Markloff, and created a series of test pages for the Kickstarter (which was a SUCCESS!)! February 1st was hourly comic day, so I made a handful of comics in a single day! In May I did the first page for Pale of Settlement, and officially started work on it in July. I’ve been truly blessed to work with such incredible authors this past year, and I’m looking forward to having TWO graphic novels finished next year. In addition to these books, I aim to incorporate my own stories into my 2025 schedule as well.
I’ll share a few of my favorite comic pages below:
Commissions
This past year was a great one for new work! I created an album cover, collaborated on a wine label, painted multiple portraits, and completed my first ever GODZILLA painting! I can’t express enough how thankful I am to the friends and patrons who have invested in my work and trusted me to bring their visions to life.
Paintings
Two years ago in 2023, my New Year’s resolution was to start oil painting more, and I did! I created a series of paintings that were shown in Rockwall Gallery in Nashville, TN. Since then, oil painting has ceased to be a priority, though it is still a passion. While I am very proud of the paintings I finished this past year, I will be setting this medium aside for a while.
In Conclusion…
This past year was much more productive than I remember it being. There were many times I thought, “I’m not doing enough” and “I should be working harder,” when in reality, I created WAY more than I should have been able to. It came at a pretty great cost to my sanity and mental health, since I was simultaneously overworking and putting myself down for being lazy. Which may seem weird, but it’s just something I do. That needs to change.
Cheers to a productive new year, and to reasonable resolutions!
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