Hey everyone!!
Well, another year has come and gone. I know that a lot of people have talked about what a terrible year 2016 was. It is true, we lost so many celebrity icons. It is also true that 2016 seemed to be a year fueled by nasty politics and hate. But now that it is a new year, it is time to look FORWARD!
I usually take the time at the end of each year to look at my accomplishments, to judge the wins - and the losses and make a plan for the future. I encourage you to do the same! It is helpful! Truthfully, 2016 wasn't a stellar year for me. Not a lot of GAINS, but I feel fortunate to have not LOST a lot either. There have been other years, when the personal loss was overwhelming. THIS was not that year for me. WHEW! Grateful!!!

So in the spirit of gratitude, please indulge me as I share my 10 positives of 2016.....

1.) According to my accounting software I was fortunate enough to have served over 150 clients this year. THAT is pretty great. Certainly not a record high, but still pretty good!

2.) According to INstagram, I recieved almost 13,000 likes. So there is that......it's good news to be addicted to other people's opinions of you and your work....RIGHT.....RIIIIGHT???

3.) I was picked up a new and exciting Gallery in the last month of the year....Blue Crow Gallery - this is my first NEW gallery in a few years. Thanks Jodi!

4.) I was also fortunate to gain a great new retailer for my merch. Donna at The Hamilton Store is an absolute DELIGHT, and the store has some really great stuff!!!!!!

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5.) I worked on a HUGE mural project with my friend Cindy Scaife, and remembered the goods and BADS of what it was like to be a mural artist. It was super fun, amd it gave me new ideas!

6.) I moved into my shared studio space at Walnut Studios, and was able to paint in the sunlight for the first time in YEARS!

7.) I completed 130 new paintings ranging in size from 6" to 40". ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

8.) I added 13 new postcards bringing my total up to 34 postcards, and also added 11 new giclee prints! WHICH IS A LOT! :-) 

9.) I got a new website and added a store to my new website - where you can buy my merch!

10.) I participated in 8 little coffee shop/restaurant/gallery/store shows, and 5 outdoor shows. Each outdoor event was a disaster. Between the HEAT and the rain, it was my worst summer in 12 years!

BUT I FINALLY learned a lesson.....I need to scale back and do mostly INDOOR events. THIS WAS A HARD WON LESSON!!!!!!! I cannot tell you how awful 2016 was....I just am tired of these games with Mother Nature......SO TIRED..... 

But......despite the hard lessons, the rain, the heat, and the mediorcity of my bottom line last year, I am still grateful!
 
Grateful that I get to do this for a living and still LOVE it!!

So what's the plan for 2017?

This year I am focussing on creating new work and finding brand new opportunities! I want to attract some new galleries, and I want to get a few out of town exhibitions cookin'! I am excitied to already be entering so many different art calls. I am also in the process of planning a solo art exhibition - my first in years! 
 
So, thanks for joining me for the ride so far, and I look forward to seeing where this year takes me!

WOW! What a weekend!!!
Those were the longest hours I have EVER worked at ANY show - EVER!
(YIKES!)
There were THOUSANDS of people out this past weekend for the James Street Supercrawl in Hamilton!
And I was part of that craziness with my booth mate Cindy Scaife!
It is hard to know how to describe it!
I ate some good eats and met some really great people and I was entertained by the colourful locals.
From a 10 year old stilts walker, to a 60 year old shirtless dancer (that we nicknames Disco Boris) to the 500 dudes in tank tops , board shorts and neck tattoos!  We really saw a lot! 

The show had a number of frustrations as well, but I promised myself I would not yell about them!

To keep ourselves busy in the off times, or when people were totally indifferent to our art, we would imagine that we had a "Hamilton Bingo" card that got stamped each time we saw something unusual! So....below....I will write (HAMBINGO) each time a photo verifies the fun weirdness!
​Let's go!

WEATHER NOTES: First day/night was BLAZINGLY HOT and sweaty - but dry! Side note - sunscreen bottles left in the sun will produce boiling hot lava and burn your skin......but I digress....

The next day.....we were up early to locate and buy pool noodles to keep the impending rain from pooling in the corners of our tent - so that it didn't collapse on us!

Sadly, I had a rather terrible night sleep, as it seemed that a fair number of 20 year old university 'dudes' don't know better than to yell on the streets at 2am like a-holes! I guess Aaron, Tyler and Ryan just can't image a world beyond their bongs and beer pong where people might need to be sleeping....and not listening to them scream at each other! "CODY....COOOODY....YOU F^*&ING WASTED??" 
Okay - rant finished....
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Just in case you were wondering...yes...Cody....aka Bra....WAS indeed "s**tfaced"!
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But that is okay......I knew I had a 15 hour day ahead.....so I had a bunch of coffee and we went to set up!
I was so tired.....but THEN....we saw this...
(See clip below!)

AMAZING RIGHT??????? If only it could have been used to clean up the trash the night before!! :-)

​Oh, and did you notice the operator of this bad boy? It's Captain Jack Sweepoh! (HAMBINGO - hipster with an eye patch)

ANYWAYS.....here is day 2 at the Supercrawl.....enjoy....the photos:

What I have failed to mention thus far is the art installation that backed onto our tent. It was great and all.....but this is how it sounded....all day/night long....on a loop that lasted about 5 minutes on - 5 minutes off....for 12 hours straight!!!!!!!!!

We kept trying to make up words to it, and thought it sounded like a "minor key Mr Sandmand"...or rather Mr anti-sandman. Please enjoy. I filmed this IN MY BOOTH....which will give you an idea of the VOLUME.

Yup......about 38 hours of that "song"!!! 
It was I think waterboarding must be like! 

NEXT DAY.....are you ready for this......
WAS PERFECT FREAKING WEATHER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Sunny.
Perfect temperature.
No wind.
A-FREAKING-MEN!
​I had a great night sleep - and have to thank Donna at The Hamilton Store for making outlives SOOOO much easier! Make sure you go see her next time you are on James North. Her store is FANTASTIC!

After a good night sleep, I packed up and got in my car to drive to the show....and found this under my windshield......

ANYWAYS.......so Sunday at The Supercrawl was for the non-humans.....

That attack doggie started the day.....and then......

Missing from my pets of Supercrawl photo section....ONLY because I couldn't get to my camera out in time to get the photo are:
1. Man with 5 birds on shoulders/head singing (him - not the birds)
2. Lady with ferret
3. Hipster couple with 2 bunnies on leashes
4. Lizard guy
5. The snake people
6. Jojo the rat faced lady
But were any of these odd enough to get onto the Hamilton Bingo Card? 
​Naw.

Oh....did I mention the locusts??????
​I feel like that should have been a sign for me!!!!!!!!
;-) 

..more of the FINAL day.....

So there you go.
A SUPER recap - for the Supercrawl!

Thanks to Margaret and Alex and Donna and Gord and EVERYONE that was funny and lovely to be around for the weekend! I really did appreciate spending time with some great Hamiltonians!!!

Thanks to the folks who came by to spend some time and $$ this weekend!
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And thanks to Cindy for keeping me in stitches!

ALL DAY
EVERYDAY
12-15 HOURS
LOOPING
ALL DAY
EVERYDAY
12-15 HOURS

You're welcome!