2020 Art In Review

I created only ten pieces of art in 2020 (a far lower number than the 98 I did in 2019!). This year's art was also all on a small scale, with all ten measuring 8"x10" in size. Nine were colored pencil drawings that were a part of my "floral attributes" series, and one was a watercolor I painted as a gift for a friend. I knew I wouldn't be nearly as productive as I had been the previous year (and indeed, the reason I made SO much art in 2019 was because I knew I would be busier in 2020, and I wanted to save back some 2019 artwork to fill in the gaps for this blog this year) - but looking at that number ten is still rather shocking at first glance. Ten? Only ten? Sure I was busy, but I definitely had time to do more than 10. Right? 

But when I look at previous years that saw me make only ten (or fewer) pieces of art in the year, it starts to make more sense. 2011, 2012, and 2013 were all also low-output years. These were the three years immediately after I graduated with my BFA from EMU. I was 1) recovering from a bit of an art burnout, 2) focusing much more on graphic design (trying to find a local graphic design job, and also trying to start an invitation design company), and 3) planning for my wedding and our first househunting/home-purchasing/moving adventure.

2020 ticks a lot of those boxes as well. I went really hardcore in 2019 to pump out lots of art, so a bit of art burnout was likely there. 2020 also just had a lot of LIFE burnout. It was hard for ALL of us to be productive this year, with all the anxiety-spiking news making headlines. When you're weighing heavy pros and cons of everyday decisions (Is it safe to go to the grocery store? Is it too risky to visit family?) day in and day out, and your adrenaline is kicked into higher gear - and stays there for months on end - it's hard to focus on ways to channel creativity into productivity. Add to all that becoming a parent for the very first time, and prioritizing caring for our newborn daughter and trying to figure out what to do with her every day in a world where a lot of usual options were suddenly unfeasible... and then also deciding to move, and thus embarking on another househunting/home-purchasing/moving adventure (this time all in the midst of a pandemic no less) - and it's easy to see why my art output was a bit on the skimpy side this year.

I don't bring all this up to self-shame. In 2011-2013 I absolutely shamed myself for my lack of productivity - but I've grown since then, and I'm trying to be less of a perfectionist, and less hard on myself. I'm actually quite proud of my 2020. I accomplished a lot, especially all things considered; it's just that most of those accomplishments weren't art-related. And that's ok. That's the way it is sometimes, when your work is in a creative field. There will be ebbs and flows to your commissions and opportunities, and also ebbs and flows to your work habits and priorities. After 2013, I really prioritized art again, and I turned around those low-output years, coming up with plans for entire series of artworks - one of which I'm still working hard and seeing through. And after this year, I can turn around that low-output again. I have no doubt I will create more art in 2021, after we finish moving in to our new house and I get my new studio set up.

And the art I did work on this year? I'm really proud of it all. Here are 8 of the colored pencil drawings I finished this year (the 9th one I haven't posted on this blog yet - something to look forward to for a 2021 post!):

I also had a lot of success at Rochester Art Market at the Paint Creek Center for the Arts and on Etsy this year, selling notecard sets. My Great Lakes notecards continue to be most popular - but I've sold other notecards as well, especially those in my floral and rainbow alphabet series.

Head over to my Etsy shop to see all the notecard varieties I have to offer! And keep an eye out for some changes coming next year - I have a lot of new notecards on the way soon, featuring drawings from my floral attributes series!

2019 Gift Giving Season

It's that time of year again - time for holiday shopping! If you're like me, you've probably already started; if you're not like me - fear not! There's still plenty of time... and my Etsy shop has lots of great gift ideas!

Below are some of the products I have available that have proven popular during past holiday seasons.

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Michigan-Themed Notecards

Michiganders (and residents from other states bordering our Great Lakes) love to show pride in their geographic area. I have several Great Lakes notecards to choose from, all of which are high-quality scans of original watercolors I created. You can choose which color (or colors) you'd like, and build your own notecard pack. These designs are especially popular at the Paint Creek Center for the Arts Holiday Art Market in downtown Rochester, MI, where I have several notecards available for purchase. 

Click here to see my Great Lakes notecards on Etsy.

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Pattern Notecards

What if you know little about the person other than maybe their favorite color? Abstract art is the perfect option! I have lots of patterns to choose from, which range from fancier and almost lace-like designs to funkier, modern prints. Each pattern was designed digitally, traced onto watercolor paper, painted, and then re-scanned back into the computer and printed on blank notecard paper. Because I use high-quality scans, you can often still easily see the texture of the watercolor paper and paint, as if it were the original piece of artwork.

Click here to see my Sunrise Sunset notecards on Etsy.

Click here to see my Nighttime Desert notecards on Etsy.

The two sets pictured above are two of my more popular abstract designs, but I have lots of other colors to choose from, too! (Sunrise Sunset is the 6-pack, and Nighttime Desert is the name of the 4-pack.)

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Initial Notecards

These weren't available for sale last holiday season, because they are scans of more recent artwork - but they've proven popular at both the Paint Creek Center for the Arts and in my Etsy shop since I made them available. I have two design options - floral letters and rainbow/paint splatter letters. All 26 letters of the alphabet are available in each design. You can select the first or last initial of the person you're buying a gift for, and present them with a unique, thoughtful blank notecard set just for them - available in a 4-pack, 6-pack, or 10-pack.

Click here to see my Floral Alphabet notecards on Etsy.

Click here to see my Rainbow Alphabet notecards on Etsy.

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Floral Notecards

I have several flower-themed notecards available as well, which come from scans of my original floral watercolors and colored pencil drawings. There are close-up details of larger artworks, where the colorful flowers fill the entire printable area, as well as notecards that capture my entire original drawing or painting. 

Newer sets that have been selling well are my "Religious Bouquet" and "Gender Bouquet" sets, which feature close-up details of my larger colored pencil drawings "Religious Bouquet (Stronger Together)" and "Gender Bouquet (Stronger Together)." I particularly love the red, purple, yellow, and white color scheme I used in the "Religious Bouquet" drawing - I think that's what other people are drawn to as well. Meanwhile, the "Gender Bouquet" features a nice gradient between blue and pink flowers, with plenty of purple in between.

Click here to see my Religious Bouquet notecards on Etsy.

Click here to see my Gender Bouquet notecards on Etsy.

The details of my larger "30 Days" colored pencil drawing, featuring thirty roses, is also a popular set. And my "Vertical Flower" four-pack - one of my original notecard sets, which features scans of several 5"x7" drawings I created back in 2014 and 2015, remains well-liked as well.

Click here to see my Rose notecards on Etsy.

Click here to see my Vertical Flower notecards on Etsy.

As I already mentioned, many of my notecard designs are also available at the Paint Creek Center for the Arts Holiday Art Market in downtown Rochester, MI. And new this year I also have a few limited designs for sale at "My Sister's Stuff," an antiques and collectibles booth in Genesee County, MI!

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Framed watercolor sets

Besides notecards (which are a great gift that looks thoughtful but costs very little money), I also have my original paintings and drawings for sale on Etsy, as well. I have a particularly extensive collection of already framed, ready-to-hang abstract watercolor sets, which feature two, three, or four small patterned watercolor paintings that can be hung vertically or horizontally. It's fun, easy, unique home decor - and I have them available in SO MANY color options.

Click here to see my framed patterned watercolor sets on Etsy.

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Custom Artwork

Of course, I can also make you a custom watercolor or colored pencil drawing - personalized pieces always make great gifts! These do take a little longer, but there's still time to get something done if you order soon. (And given my impending due date of late December 2019/early January 2020, I would appreciate getting any potential holiday gift orders in sooner rather than later.)

My most purchased custom artworks are custom 8"x10" watercolor bouquet paintings, and 8"x10" watercolor name paintings. The bouquet paintings make great keepsakes to capture the look of someone special's wedding bouquet, and are also purchased as birthday and anniversary gifts throughout the year. And the name paintings make great wedding and new-baby gifts - I often paint these and give them as gifts myself to friends and family who get married or have new babies.

Click here to see my custom bouquet watercolor listing on Etsy.
Click here to see my custom name watercolor listing on Etsy.

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If you have any questions, don't hesitate to reach out to me (my email is afrownfe@gmail.com)! I love helping people find the perfect gift for their loved one to bring a smile to their face.

Rainbow Alphabet Notecard Sets

As promised in previous posts, my rainbow alphabet watercolors are now available as notecard prints! I scanned in all twenty-six 5"x7" watercolor paintings (one for each letter) at 600 dpi (high quality) so they'd be ready to print as notecards on demand. They're listed in my Etsy shop for $10 for a pack of four, $14 for a pack of six, or $22 for a pack of ten (with free shipping)! They're also available to be purchased individually at the Paint Creek Art Market in downtown Rochester, MI.

Here are some photos of the notecards:

As with all of my notecards, these are 4 1/4" x 5 1/2" and come with matching white A2 envelopes (4 3/8" x 5 3/4"). The insides are blank, and the back of the cards list the artwork information and a digital artist signature. Each card is inkjet printed in my home on smooth, matte cardstock.

These make fantastic gifts (for yourself, or others!) - use the first letter of your first or last name to create a custom stationery set of blank cards with your initial on the front.

You can also select different letters to spell out words, names, or phrases (e.g. "FAMILY" "ANDREA" "HAPPY BIRTHDAY" or "WILL YOU MARRY ME"). For instant wall decor, simply cut the cards in half and display the fronts of the cards in small frames, or use a hole punch and some ribbon to hang the art prints from a wall or ceiling hook.

Find these cards listed on Etsy here.

Want more pictures of the original watercolors? Check out these previous blog posts:
- Planning for Alphabet Watercolors
- Watercolors in Progress A-H
- Watercolors in Progress I-P
- Watercolors in Progress Q-Z
- All 26 Finished Watercolors
- Close-Ups of All 26 Watercolors

All 26 Finished Rainbow Alphabet Watercolors (Close-Ups)

As promised, here are some close-up shots of my recently completed 26 5"x7" rainbow alphabet watercolor paintings. (You really need close-ups to best see the green and orange thin Sharpie line details I added!)

I am making these paintings into notecards, which will be available in my Etsy store for purchase soon!