From my very first online class, An Imaginary Trip To Paris in 2009!

Is it as hard for you as it is for me to realize that 1999 was twenty years ago?! We were all so worried about Y2K and what was going to happen to our computers. Where did those years go?

For me, I see a dividing line in my decades...before May 2009 and after. Before May 2009, I was in a corporate job I didn't like, freaked out on high-octane stress most all of the time and trying to figure out how I was going to keep going until I could retire. Then my job was outsourced to another country and the economy tanked.

I decided to launch Imaginary Trips in May 2009 and you know the rest of the story! I can look back over a slew of classes and workshops that brought new friendships and experiences into my life. Some I couldn't have imagined in one hundred years let alone ten! There has been growth in technology as well as in my own artistic path.

I look at several of the folks that started way back at the beginning of the decade and I marvel at how far they've come and how much their work has evolved! And I am humbled and ever so thankful I was able to be some small part of that growth and evolution.

From a class in 2010

Strolling Through The Past
One of the advantages we have in being visual artists is the ability to see our growth. We can see how we've improved at capturing the world around us on the page, how we've changed how we approach a subject or our use of color. I spent some time in my archives recently, looking for a piece of misplaced (read that as lost) artwork. It wasn't long before I was off on a tangent, looking at some of the work I did eight and ten years ago.

Pieces I thought were marvelous at the time have lost some of their marvel today—because I've grown and my perspective on the work is much different, but that doesn't negate the feelings I had at the time about what I had created. It is only when it's lifted from its place in the continuum that it loses its luster.

I see so many changes! I think mostly I see how I would do things differently today, knowing what I know now...but isn't that always the way? We do the best we can until we learn to do better? I also continue to see room for more improvement and that's a good thing! I've always said that the day I painted a "perfect piece of artwork" would be the day I hung up my brushes. I don't think it's possible to paint a piece of perfect work, not if we're really seeking growth and new levels of creativity.

If you haven't walked back through the years of your artwork, I highly recommend it! It's eye-opening to see the growth that isn't obvious in a month or even a year's width.

Looking Forward
What's on the horizon? I see more creativity, more growth and more fun to come in form of the classes and workshops on the near horizon and in the coming years. I think one of the reasons I have always been captivated by creativity is because it's a bottomless well. Just when you think you've tapped the deepest level, along comes something to push you in a completely new direction!

How are you planning to move forward in 2020 and beyond?

Given the time of year and our mad scurry to chart our goals, plans and dreams, you've probably given thought to what you want to learn, what adventures you want to have and what dreams you want to make a reality.

From a workshop in Jekyll Island 2019

I hope some of the classes and workshops I will be offering this year might fit in with some of your plans and goals as I'd love to be a part of your continued artistic growth! Come and take a look:

An Imaginary Trip To the Classroom: Using The Color Green - In several of the classes I hosted last year, several folks asked for more help in using the color green in their work. Whether you have trouble mixing a useful green or you have trouble creating a believable landscape, this class is designed to give you plenty of useful information, tips and tricks for making friends with this highly useful color! Click the title above for more information and to get registered.

Travel Sketching In The Southwest Of France - Ten days of connection and creativity in a small French village in the southwest of France! From the refurbished convent to the small medieval villages and towns we'll visit, this trip is unlike any you've taken. There will time for sketching and shopping, relaxing and reflecting as well as reconnecting to a more creative you. Sound like just what you've been looking for? Click the here for all the details!

Local Classes - As many of you know, Creative Art Supply (formerly Keeton's) closed at the end of 2019 as did another Bay favorite, Whim So Doodle, in St. Pete and while it has been very disappointing to lose to wonderful locations, life goes on and new places are developing! I have begun to teach classes locally at Live And Learn Pharmacy in Riverview and at the Southern Atelier in Sarasota! To see any upcoming classes I have at either venue, I recommend checking out the Upcoming Classes page over at ImaginaryTrips.com.

There are a few more events to be added to the calendar so please check back! I hope to see you in one (or more) spaces soon.

Meanwhile, good luck on your creative journey into the next decade!