Reflections
what's staring back?
It’s finally catching up to me that 2023 is here, and it’s here to stay. It seems like the right time, or the best time, rather, to write a newsletter with a reflection of 2022.
Here’s my art summary. I’ve always been creating the template on my own, but this time, I decided that using a premade one is the way to go. So a huge, huge thank you to fudan_714 for sharing this. It’s so beautiful, and definitely way better looking than how I would have made it.
Of course, as I filled it up, seeing the three empty boxes almost broke my heart. I had never gone so long without making art before. Previous art summaries would have two empty boxes max. I remember why I lacked inspiration and motivation in June, but I can’t quite recall why I couldn’t bring myself to create anything in February and March. No matter, putting this together made me think that I don’t want this repeating this new year, and I really hope I’ll be able to achieve that. :)
My favourite piece would have to be Beloved Spirit, which features my late hamster. It felt like a turning point for me mentally, as I’d been going through something difficult in June. I remember feeling emotional when I finally finished painting the little guy in this piece, holding back tears as I thought about how much I missed him. I still do, and I don’t think it’ll ever go away, but I’m glad I had him to bring me out of a dark place, giving me the headspace required to continue making art.
Coming out of this rut (not caused by art itself but rather life, in general) was a huge thing, because then I wouldn’t have been able to paint Spirits of the Wind, my proudest piece to date. It told me that I was capable of achieving so much more, and that I should continue trusting the process. There will always be that one piece that tells you when you’ve broken the code, and this is one of the pieces for me.
In 2022, while I’ve only painted 15 illustrations (not including the pieces for Look Up and studies), it was a year of many discoveries. In January 2022, I didn’t believe I could paint realistic-looking clouds, I didn’t think I’ll make good enough pieces to be made into book covers, but by December 2022, my mind has changed on both fronts. I created a zine full of skies, and for the first time in a while, I’ve had someone email to ask me if I did custom-made covers, because they liked my style. Although they didn’t hire me in the end, I was flattered and hopeful. This felt like it mirrored my prior experience while I was still photomanipulating book covers. It was all I needed to know to keep pushing, and continue making eye-catching pieces that will make it stand out among other books.
Just a general overview for now. My premade book covers will continue to sell between $70-$90/$100 (+$30 if needed to transform to paperback). Custom full paperback + ebook covers will be selling at $230. Ebook covers alone will be $180.
I will also continue to provide commission services with these prices, and hopefully get my first such commission under these two available types this year.
Excited to see where this year takes me on my artistic journey!
That’s all for now. Happy New Year! Let’s hope 2023 will be a good year for all of us, including our families, health-wise and wealth-wise.
My heart to yours,
Elaine