In the news

What a roller-coaster year this has been, as an emerging artist in her 50s who only began learning to paint - and even to sketch/draw - last year.
Particularly because this all started as a DIY approach to help me deal with several symptoms of my rare disease - and to raise awareness of chronic pain.
First as a form of movement-therapy for chronic neuropathic (nerve) pain in my right hand & arm, along with bone & joint issues, skin problems, spasms, tremors, and more.
Also as brain plasticity training, to hopefully prevent any worsening of the 'mild cognitive impairment' caused by this disease; Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS, formerly called Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy or RSD).
Just how good year was it?
From January through March I had a watercolor in a group exhibition at a gorgeous historic site, then in May three of my watercolors were juried into a group exhibition at an art gallery in downtown Montréal.

Also in May, I was presented with a certificate for having won the 2021 national Art Awards of the Canadian Pain Society; the award ceremony had been delayed by the pandemic.
Throughout the summer I participated in the cross-disciplinary "What the Pop" series of events showcasing emerging artists in & around Montréal; with musicians, performing artists, visual artists, and other creatives.
This culminated in a one-day outdoor art show, on the grounds of a popular microbrewery, which was fantastically successful for me; it was lovely to meet so many people, after painting mostly alone during the pandemic.

Also in August I was featured in a news piece in the largest weekly newspaper in the province, for how how I use art to raise awareness of chronic pain and of CRPS:

"What the Pop! free pop-up art exhibition...", by Anthony Bonaparte, The Suburban
Another 3 of my watercolors were included in a group exhibition in September, and in October this art website was launched - feel free to add a comment on the "Guestbook" page here, by the way!
In November I submitted a just-completed painting for a Montréal-wide art contest... and it ended up winning First Prize in the Amateur Adult Artist category for Watercolour & Gouache works!
At a Gala Art Awards on December 2nd, I was presented with a framed First Prize award certificate by one of Montréal's City Councillors.

That prize-winning watercolor was then exhibited at the stunning Pierrefonds Library until just before the holidays.
In addition to these in-person art exhibitions, a number of my watercolors were included in virtual or online art shows throughout the year.
And finally... On December 30th my first commissioned painting was picked up (it has an almost "Where's Waldo" vibe, for the figures!); I was so excited that I completely forgot to get a photo of the painting with its new owner, as is the tradition among artists I know.
I literally couldn't have imagined any better, for only the second year since I first picked up a paintbrush, or even a sketching pencil...
It has truly been a roller-coaster ride, never knowing what's around the bend.
As we head into the New Year, I wish you many happy moments in 2023!
To close, I'm sharing my favourite painting of this year...