Happy New Year everyone! It feels so good to be done with the Holidays and focused on a new year and new projects.

Things have continued to stay busy and exciting for me. Being a full time artist is such a treat and I feel so grateful for all the fans and supporters of my artwork. I reached my 1000th sale on Etsy a week ago. And I’ve had many great spots of my artwork these last few months ranging from Glamour’s website, Rue Magazine,  N.E.E.T Magazine, Vhcle Magazine, The Washingtonian Magazine’s blog, and some international magazines in Australia (reveal coming soon) and Sweden. I also had the chance to license a piece to QVC for an event they are hosting to industry insiders. With all of that…and a few new projects on the horizon I feel overwhelmingly elated.

All of that has made me think a lot about  an article I read once. It was about how we make our own luck. I wish I could find the article for a point of reference right now. But I’m sure you get the gist of it. We all have more power and control over our lives then we sometimes see. I know this is true for me. I used to be frightened of taking risks, and didn’t believe I was entitled to success. Crazy right? A year into my artistic endeavors I realized I needed to silence my inner critic and just go for it full fledged. I also started to believe that if I kept working hard and doing what I love that opportunities would come their way. I love this quote:

“To hell with luck. I’ll bring the luck with me.” The Old Man and the Sea

So go make 2012 your luckiest year!

And here are some random favorite photos for the week…enjoy!

Cate Parr’s beautiful watercolors are one of my favorite things to look at. She’s a sweet friend I found through our mutual career path.

 Ever wondered how to hang art? This is a great photo to hang in a collage type of way. It’s so unexpected yet stylishly cool.