Annus Mirabilis: A Retrospective of 2013

If there is one word I can use to describe 2013, it would be "dramatic." It's a fitting "third act" for the sequel to my first art book, Post-Consumerism. That's right, I didn't mention that I'm working on another book. This one is picking up where I left off, in the fall of 2010. It will catalog all the paintings I've done since then until now, and will chronicle the events in my life that inspired my work. And with 2013 being so eventful, my book will definitely have a very interesting and happy ending.

January

I started the year off completely immersed in a project. But it wasn't a visual art project. It was writing. I wrote a screenplay and then adapted it into a novel, returning to a story that I had abandoned long ago. And I used my desk at my studio as a writing space.

I also decided to try something new at my studio and serve fresh popcorn.

February

The third annual Fall in Love With Art event was a lot of fun. People came and devoured the mini cupcakes.

March

March was a great month for Post-Consumerism. I had a solo show at the main branch of the Chicago Public Library, the Harold Washington Library on State Street.

I also had the honor of teaching some kids at the Chicago Children's Museum how to make art out of cardboard.

Remember Iris?

April

In April I finally finished a piece I'd been tinkering with since 2012, Chromatic Quilt.

May

In May, I saw a great show at the MCA that really inspired me, Destroy the Picture.

Perhaps that was what inspired me to finish another piece I'd set aside for a while, a mini painting entitled Constellation.

Building upon the visual style and technique of Constellation, I created two new paint skin assemblages, Art Store and Art Supplies, companion pieces to Imperfect Things.

June

June was a very busy month for me because in addition to NeoCon, which I attend every year, I also had two art shows at The Double Door. And I was one of the featured artists during the grand opening of Gallery Bar.

NeoCon

The RAW show at The Double Door

The Doll Project at the Gynaeceum show at The Double Door

Gallery Bar

I finally finished Color Cornucopia.

It was also the month I decided to start showing classic TV shows about art at my studio.

July

In July, I went to the AFRICOBRA show at the Logan Center at my alma mater, University of Chicago. It was an amazing show.

I also had the opportunity to return to the Merchandise Mart for some clients who wanted their dining room to have a stunning finishing touch.

August

In August, I completed two commissioned works: Violet Unfolding and Journey to You.

I saw the next installment of AFRICOBRA at the DuSable Museum of African-American history.

I also  celebrated my third anniversary in the Fine Arts Building with a delicious chocolate raspberry cake at my August open studio.

September

In September I was too busy studying for Jeopardy! to get much else done, though I did make it to the Renegade Craft Fair and the Expo Chicago show at Navy Pier.

October

As soon as I got back from taping Jeopardy! in California, I had the opening reception for The Doll Project at the Adler School of Professional Psychology.

I spent much of October checking out work by other artists because it was Chicago Artists Month.

November

Having exhausted myself in October, I came down with pneumonia at the end of the month and had to take things easy for the first few weeks of November. But I did manage to go the the SOFA show at Navy Pier.

I also made a lot of Christmas ornaments.

December

December was a very exciting month. First, I got a chance to be featured in the Chicago Reader.

Since the end of September, I had felt like December would never come. Once it arrived, the wait was finally over and I could finally tell everyone about Jeopardy!

For those of you who missed it, here's a video of me playing my first game on YouTube:



And here is a post-game interview:

I also did one last painting for the year, Exotic Matter.

So after worrying that I wouldn't make any money, defaulting on my private student loans, having my car die on me twice (both times with the same painting in the back seat), and catching pneumonia, getting some publicity from the Chicago Reader and Jeopardy! made this year turn out so much better than I expected. While studying for Jeopardy! I decided to brush up on my Latin. (Sadly, I didn't get that category.) I came across a phrase I had forgotten, "annus mirabilis," which means "year of miracles." And that's what 2013 has turned out to be. I look forward to seeing what 2014 will bring. Happy New Year to all of you and thanks for reading my blog!