Over the last few years as the end of the year draws to a close, I’ve settled down to look back over everything that has happened in the past twelve months. I find this a really good way of clearing the slate for the new year - it’s a good way to remember the things that I did, enjoyed or learned from.

What a year it has been though! In many ways it has been one of the most challenging I have ever experienced, and I’m sure so many of us feel the same.

Last December, I chose my word for 2020 - it was ‘Courage’. I do this each year, finding a word that will help me stretch my boundaries, a word I can turn to for comfort or encouragement when life feels tough, a word that feels like a light and an anchor all at once. My goodness, I had no idea how much courage I would need to circumnavigate the weeks and months that lay ahead! January gave me a taste of things to come when a gallery I had work for sale with closed suddenly with no warning. Sadly, the situation escalated into an unpleasant and difficult one, which caused a lot of stress and anxiety for many of the artists involved. I hasten to add that despite being burned by a couple of bad galleries in my time working as an artist, the majority of them are very professional and a pleasure to work with. I was lucky on this occasion, I got my work back eventually, and got paid for the the work that had been sold. The situation forced me way out of my comfort zone, but it taught me about strengths I didn’t know I had, and that I could find courage and fight my corner if I needed to.

One massive positive from this experience was that I connected with some wonderful artists who have gone on to became good friends.

Shortly after this experience, we heard the whispers that Covid had arrived in the UK, and despite me saying to my daughter that it was probably a storm in a teacup, on my birthday I found us all plunged into the first national lockdown. Our plans to go to Southport and stay overnight as a birthday treat, with a meal in a lovely restaurant on the coast and a day in Liverpool were all cancelled. Instead, we hiked up the crags by my home and gazed out over the misty Pennines, all of us feeling rather lost and discombobulated. It was the beginning of an uncertain and strange road ahead…who knew that almost ten months later we would still be on this journey?

In the weeks that followed, as Spring blossomed and the days lengthened and warmed, my daughter did her school work as I painted, and she connected with nature in some wonderful ways. We live by a river and close to the woods so we are lucky to see unusual visitors like Kingfishers and owls now and then, but the warmer months delivered so many surprises - a pheasant and her flock of babies that we found at the back of the studio, several families of ducklings that became so tame as they grew that they would swarm downstream whenever she went onto the riverbank, and crawl into her lap. We found a hedgehog trapped in a bucket in the garden next door, which was promptly rescued and an abandoned baby coal tit. There were little mice that would sit in her hand for a second to nibble a crumb before running under the shed, a bee with a broken wing who she named Hector and nurtured for weeks - he liked to crawl up her am and sit about her person as she wandered about. Her interest in nature grew, and it wasn’t unusual to see her, mid maths, discarding her studies to come hurrying down the path, lured away by the magic of what was happening down the garden.

We took walks in the local woods, and discovered paths and trails we never knew existed. We watched the landscape turn from the brown and grey of late winter into the zesty green of spring. The daffodils came followed swiftly by the cherry blossom and bluebells, and before we knew it Summer was here bringing a canopy of dense leaves, wildflowers and butterflies.

I realised over those weeks that nature was a deep, healing gift, and it helped me cope enormously with the chaos and uncertainty that was unfolding in the outside world.

The year wasn’t without its losses though. Sadly, early Summer saw the passing of our little house guinea pig, Angel. It was such a blow, and we still miss her so much.

Missing my family who live in Suffolk was also one of the harder parts of the lockdown and restrictions, and it was several months before we could meet up again. I remember a hot sunny day at a lake, we all took a picnic and the reunion was just the best thing ever. I remember it felt strange to travel in the car beyond the borders of the village, having being stuck there for so long. I noticed that my world had shrunk, and we had almost become used to living in this small area making do with what was on our doorstep.

In July, after what felt like months, we took our first trip to the coast for the day. It was a bright, hot sunny day and we packed a picnic and headed for Thornwick Bay on our east coast. Oh my goodness, I cannot tell you how incredible it was to see that prussian blue stripe of the sea meeting a deep blue sky…I remember staring at the waves, watching puffins skimming the surface with fulmars and guillemots, the scent of sea salt on the breeze, and the warmth of the sun on my bare arms. It was one of the best moments in my life.

In August we went to north Wales for a couple of days. Oh my, I just fell in love with the mountains, the clear water and the beautiful scenery so much! One of the highlights was watching the pink full moon rise from behind the majesty of Snowdonia into a dusky lavender sky - just breathtaking. Again, nature continued to deliver what we needed, and eased our worries and cares.

*Beautiful Snowdonia from the Llyn Peninsula*

Throughout lockdown I had thrown myself into my work. As well as nature, my art and painting became a deep healing tool for me and I don’t know how I would have fared without it - it helped to keep me afloat during some really tough days and I realised how essential creativity can be for mental health.

Although I’ve long been inspired by coast and countryside, I noticed that nature was beginning to find it’s way into my art more and more, and after rescuing Pip the hedgehog I began adding little animals to some of my paintings. It was shortly after this that I was approached by the Card Factory and invited to work with them as a freelance illustrator - I am really excited to be working with such a lovely team as we head into 2021, and I’m also curious to see where my art will take me next. I feel very connected to painting nature and its wildlife, and I know I will definitely be exploring this subject further.

I also had some success with the Artist Support Pledge over the last few months, an incredible incentive created by artist Matthew Burrows to help artists during the challenging times that Covid19 brought with it. Each artist could sell a piece of work for up to £200 and once they had earned £1000 from sales, they pledged to buy a piece (or pieces) of work from other artists and makers for £200. This created a fantastic micro-economy for artists and makers alike, and it became a lifeline for us over the last few months.

*Some of my Wild Winter Christmas Collection hand painted baubles*

My nature inspired paintings led to a collection of cards, framed prints and hand painted decorations. I feel very grateful that I’ve had the opportunity to keep working and to sell my art to so many this year as my partner lost so much of his work as a sign writer due to the closure of so many businesses he works with. I’m really happy that my art was able to support us as a family and am very grateful to each and every one of you who has chosen to support my little biz this year - thank you, from all of us.

As we all know, here in the UK our Christmas plans were cancelled last minute. We gave up parties with friends and gatherings with loved ones, and for the first time ever I didn’t get to see my sister and her family (although we were allowed to have my Mum and Dad over for Christmas day). This year has been very testing in many ways, and at times very painful. But it has also been enlightening. It has shown me how important family, connection and friendship is. I have a new, refreshed love for nature and the seasons, and what’s on my doorstep. I have begun and continued with a daily meditation practise, I cook fresh food every day as we no longer eat out…life has slowed down and in some ways I appreciate the simplicity that affords us.

I’ve taken a fairly long rest from my work, closing my store mid December for the Christmas holidays, and I haven’t done much art except the odd drawing in my sketchbook. I was grateful to take that time off, but I’m starting to feel the calling of the studio again, to squeeze paint onto my palette and create new art.

You may be wondering, did I achieve everything I set out to achieve in 2020? Absolutely not! 2020 was a giant curveball none of us could have ever expected, turning life on its head. Quite a few things I had planned, both personally and work wise fell by the wayside, but as I sit here in December I realise that some of them weren’t that important after all, and some of the other things that got put to one side, well, there’s always next year.

So what has 2020 taught me?

To let go of what I cannot control, and focus on what I can
That I am surrounded by beauty on my own doorstep
Family, friendship and connection is the most important thing
Finding things to do that bring joy or happiness is a daily pursuit
Being grateful for all that I have, not what I haven’t got
Art is a wonderful tool for healing, and for emotional wellbeing
I love cooking fresh, seasonal food and don’t really miss eating out that much
Meditation and spending time in nature are essential for my mental health and wellbeing

What am I looking forward to doing in 2021?

Creating more art
Seeing family and friends again (whenever that may be)
HUGS WITH EVERYONE
Continuing my daily meditation, my walks, time in nature
Enjoying slower living, decluttering, and doing some minor house renovations
Hoping to get to the coast more often - I’ve missed our trips to the beach this year!
Building and growing my business with new offerings

I hope that next year brings peace and connection, I hope that we are able to resume our lives without restriction and enjoy our freedom again. I am thinking now about my word for 2021…as yet, it hasn’t materialised, but I am wondering, if it might be ‘hope’.

2020 - My Year in Review