It is the LAST DAY OF 2013!! YEAAHHHHHHH!

What a year! Looking back over 2013 I couldn’t be more proud.

This time last year I had finished my first oil painting of an owl in flight, and had been working on a blog/website/social network upheaval to make my work more widely accessible and to connect with other artists and art lovers. I sit here today with such a huge backlog of paintings under my belt, so much so that I cannot believe I managed to do so much in just one year! And a great following. For a clearer overview of my paintings of 2013, click on the link here for my Instagram page, with a brief and concise view of my work throughout the year!

Here is an overview I write as I go through a year of posts/instagram/facebook/emails/conversations with friends.

I started my artistic journey by no means at the shallow end, I took a high dive straight in, working directly towards my first ever solo exhibition at the Sam Scorer Gallery in Lincoln. Straight away I worked hard on commissioned pieces, sold originals and built up a steady following of art lovers who have been generously liking my work and commenting from the start! To you I owe such a successful first year.

I explored all avenues of social media, connecting with the public and building up a client list making the opportunities to work with creative individuals to produce their perfect painting ideal. My YouTube videos were a great hit (something I plan to do more of in 2014!) with one video reaching over 2000 views!

The word ‘conviction’ joined my vocabulary in January 2013, a word I learnt and couldn’t let go of. It stands for everything I strive for, a word that isn’t just a description of an ideal, but a way to live, think, breath. Everything you approach should be approached with conviction, there is no point in doing anything by halves.

‘The consciousness that we meet a circumstance is everything. Miracles derive from conviction.’

A couple more exhibitions later (Howarth, Craig Dyson Gallery – BOKO London) and I had met individuals and groups of people who inspired me in their attitude, outlook and approach to what they do. One particular being Jack Shaw, an incredibly talented musician with so much determination and conviction in his blood and an enthusiasm for what he does. Find his music and lifestyle here. Jack wrote a book about his first year in London which integrated his story with lyrics, photos and doodles. It is a great read, I would recommend anyone as music, art or London lovers to get it!

As summer approached my work seemed to take a more vibrant and colourful turn. Maybe it was the turn of the seasons or just a welcomed change, but my style moved onto more eclectic territory, bringing in a level of abstraction I had never considered before.

At this point I also felt a subject change as I passionately charged directly towards a new project of Iconic Women through history. This is still under construction and taking me a long time to finish the series of 10 large scale pieces. A pleasure for me, starting the near year with a project well under way and a fire in my belly to finish it to perfection! Keep a look out early this year as after I have healed from my new years eve antics, I plan to dive right back into these pieces and begin campaigning for their exhibitions. The pieces are all so close to my heart in meaning and in style. The colours and that of someone who might have been deprived or something, and then binged! I must have felt an inherent need to draw out the colourful side of me that I did not realise I had.

The end of the year brought some incredible surprises with featuring in American magazine ‘Cliche’s Oct/Nov 2013 issue, such a huge achievement for my first year as an artist. This was actually a goal of mine for a long time as an avid magazine reader. A retweet from MC Hammer sent my twitter page booming as he retweeted a photo of my Rosa Parks painting from my Iconic Women Collection. And a beautiful cover feature for The Journal magazine melted my heart with a lovely article and a great cover image that made me cry with pride when I saw it on the shelves!

With a Facebook following of under 100, grown significantly this year to over 8500, and an Instagram page over 15000 I couldn’t be more happy with my 2013. I have worked with great clients, conversed with wonderful art lovers and spent my time creating and painting, something that will never get tiresome for me. I am so excited to see what 2014 has to offer, I have so many plans and ideas all preparing to set up, im going at 2014 HARD!

Please follow my work on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and keep and eye on on my main website www.katyjadedobson.com which will have a fresh new overhaul in the new year.

Please share more of your own work and what you have been getting up to in 2013 and plan for 2014! It is your work and input that keep me forever inspired and motivated!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!! I HOPE 2014 IS YOUR YEAR!!!! XXXXX

Katy x