Accomplishments in 2011

"LineScape #10" ©Ayn Hanna, 12"x12", Textile Painting

Above, one of my new textile paintings from my new “LineScapes” series.  I started this new series in Nov 2011.  It is based on my love of maps.  I’ll elaborate more in a future post.

As 2012 is off and running, I’m awash in looking both backwards and forwards, appreciating the accomplishments of 2011 and shaping my goals for this year.  And since it’s now February, I’m clearly moving according to my own timetable on this.  So, without further ado:

My 2011 List of Accomplishments

1.  I enjoyed a full year of living with my wonderful artist partner, who inspires and encourages me.

2. I created a new series – the “Giddy Up” series – and made 10 small textile paintings in this series.

3. I created another new series – “LineScapes” – and made 13 textile paintings in this series.

4. Using my own hand-dyed and silkscreened fabrics and combining just about all the different textile processes I’ve learned, I created 1 new large textile painting in my Dream series.

5. I created 3 textile paintings that evolved into another kind of series, all with “Way” in the titles.

6. I created a large textile painting using my own ECO-dyed fabric, a new fabric dyeing process that I learned/researched in 2011.

7. I created a small textile painting which is included in the SAQA traveling trunk show, “This is a Quilt”.

8. In all, I created 31 new artworks: 4 large, 6 medium, and 21 smallish textile paintings.

9. I dyed ~65 yards of cotton fabric.

10. I created ~20 yards of art cloth using deconstructed dye processes and silkscreen with fabric paints (for use in my textile paintings and also to sell).

11. I sold 11 artworks – including textile paintings, etchings, and art cloth.

12. I was one of 39 participating artists in the Fort Collins Studio Tour, opening my studio to the public for the first time for the annual weekend event in June.

13. During the New West Fest in old town Fort Collins, I shared a booth at the Creative Garden Art Show.  This was my first time to have a booth at an art festival.  I’m damn lucky to have such an organized partner to help me pull it all together!

14. I co-juried a contemporary print show at 44T Artspace in Denver and displayed my work in the show as well.

15. Participating in a 2-person invitational show at Gallery Bleu in Nov/Dec, I displayed 17 of my recent textile paintings.

16.  My textile painting Keep Your Mach Up, Always Check Your Six won the Best Use of Aviation Theme award in the Thread Tails and Vapor Trails art quilt show.

17. I entered 7 juried shows and was accepted in 4 of them.

18. We held our 2nd Annual Hanna-Hooly Holiday Open Studio event in Dec and met many new friends and fans.

19.  I have one piece in a traveling show that will be exhibited in Oregon, Washington, and Texas over the 9 month long tour.

20. In all, I participated in a total of 11 shows throughout the year and my work was exhibited in multiple states throughout the US.

21.  I designed and taught a workshop, Art Cloth: Unique hand-printed fabric, at the Ah Haa School for the Arts in Telluride.  My students and I had so much fun that before I even left to come home, I committed to teach another workshop there this summer, Aug 10-12.

22. Since I love process and learning new ways of doing things, I added a few more techniques to my tool box this year.  Through research, study, and practice, I learned how to do deconstructed screen printing with dyes and Eco-dyeing with natural materials that I found in my own backyard.

23.  I created several pieces of silk and cotton eco-dyed fabric using organic materials found in my environment and mordants created with salt and rusted metal.

24.  I expanded my repertoire of impermanent silk screen techniques, adding glue resist and flour paste resist techniques to my mix.

25.  I completed a MAJOR website and blog redesign (thank you Pat!), merging my website and blog onto one self-hosted platform.

26.  I updated my bio, artist statement and resume.

27.  I wrote 36 blog posts. (Although I wish that number was higher, I keep reminding myself that I’m focusing on quality not quantity.)

28.  I created a FaceBook Fan page for my Art and now have 142 “Fans”.

29.  Embracing a need to understand more about Social Media, I took Alyson B. Stanfield’s Social Media Immersion workshop in Golden, CO and had a great time learning and meeting many new artist friends.

30.  Using images of 3 of my Giddy Up Girls textile paintings, I made my first set of note cards and sold more than half of my inventory.

31.  I invested in GYST artists’ software and started working on populating my art inventory data base.

32.  I organized and updated my contacts and mailing lists and added 30+ new subscribers to my mail list.

33.  I attended my first national SAQA conference, met some great artists who I had long admired and enjoyed my time with friends.

34.  I completed my SHIFT-IT Coaching Certification! (Thank you Christina!)

35.  I joined 2 Guilds and attended 10 guild meetings.

36.  I’ve been invited to be the featured Artist and present an Artist Talk at FRCQ Art Quilters Guild in Broomfield this April.

37.  My partner and I survived a home remodel project in which we replaced 16 windows and added 2 new doors.  We were clearly in denial or completely clueless as to how big a project this really was, and really did believe them when they told us it would take 2 guys 1 week to complete it.  4 months later, it’s all finally done and the house really does look beautiful.

38.  I was selected to be a curriculum committee advisory member for the Arts Incubator of the Rockies (AIR) Program that is being created by Beet Street and will provide a variety of services to artists throughout a 10-state inter-mountain west region, to help them further their art careers.

39.  I joined the Twitter world (@ayniehanna)

40.  I joined google+

41.  I photographed all of my completed artwork and added it to my art inventory data base.

42.  I saw Stevie Nicks in concert at Red Rocks, had second row seats, and (wow!) got to shake her hand during the white winged dove encore.

43.  I got to have some family time with my Spanish family during their annual summertime visit and my brother Dave while he was here for his frisbee competition.

44.  I got to see John Prine in concert with my Mom….one of her favorites!

45.  I went to Minneapolis and proudly attended my partner’s opening reception of her big solo show at Circa Gallery.  It was even better that our buddy Rachel was able to make it as well.

46. I continued to work 40 hours a week as a business relationship manager at the large and dysfunctional multinational company that gives me my paycheck and health insurance.  I appreciate what it provides and struggle with the insanity of it all.

47.  I appreciated being able to work from home and enjoying my family time.  My Emma keeps me grounded and reminds me of what’s important when things get a bit nutty with work.

48.  I spent more creative time in my studio and made more art in 2011 than in any previous single year of my life.

One of the insights I’ve gotten from writing down my list of 2011 accomplishments is that it was a VERY full year.  In appreciation for all that I achieved last year, and letting 2011inform my plans for 2012, I’ve taken the time for all of these thoughts and information to cook together until they become visual goals I’m excited about.

Next up, goals for 2012 and my word for the year.

Have you listed your accomplishments for the past year?  If so, please leave a link in the comments section as I would love to read them.