January 2026 Wrapped - Monthly Art Check-In

Welcome to my first blog post! I thought this would be a fun way for me to keep track of my progress this year and to keep you all updated on what I'm working on as a monthly art check-in. Some of my goals for 2026 are to reach 500 followers, sell 3 originals, and make progress on my website orders. At the beginning of this month, I started a fun little piece, painting a fish. It was very fun and though definitely not my regular style, I'm so here for it. At my weekly art classes, I am working on a large piece featuring a photograph I took in San Jose, Costa Rica, during my mission trip there last spring. The sky, mountains/volcano, and background city and trees are done, and I will now start on the

colourful homes that give the less fortunate side of the city its character. It was such an amazing experience, and I am so glad to remember it this way. I also spent some time quoting a large custom commission for a family friend. We have not entirely determined the details, but it will be my biggest piece yet, and I hope to start in early February. I am so very excited to create it for him! Another exciting announcement is that one of my paintings, The Three Sisters, will be featured in a Canmore show home at the end of February, before it is hopefully auctioned off. One of my previous clients, and a family friend, reached out and offered this amazing opportunity, and I am incredibly grateful.

In my personal life, I will soon be starting my last semester of high school! Very exciting but also incredible nerve wracking. With no finals due to the teachers' strike, it has been a less stressful month than previous years, though I have still had lots to keep me busy with tutoring 3x a week, 4H speeches at the beginning of February, and everything with my art. We went skiing at the beginning of the month and are planning to go out again a few more times before February.

Before I let you go, here are some notes going into February to feel a bit more creative and get a bit more out of your days.

• Sunrise to sunset days- The days have grown long enough that I no longer drive home from school in the dark. So it is time to embrace that. Try to actually watch and appreciate both the beginning and end of each day, and get outside if you can!

• Take pictures- Most of my inspiration comes from our natural world, but also from the small moments you can capture on camera. So overstuff your storage and try to slow down and notice the little beauties.

• Go analog- Pick one thing, anything, to do to keep a physical memory of your life. I always end up doing too many, so I have lots of suggestions for you.

  • Scrapbooking- I have mentioned this on my Instagram page lots, but I am in the middle of my second one, and I love it. It is such a fun way to be creative and remember all the memories you make. So much more fun to flip through a little book than your camera roll.

  • Journaling- Try to get a journal just to write your thoughts down. You don't have to write about your whole day, just little thoughts to keep track of your brain on paper.

  • Monthly Postcards- If you are artsy, this is a great one for you! On the front of a piece of paper, paint, draw or scrapbook a scene to remind you of the month, then on the back, write a letter to yourself to remember everything that happened during the month.

• Take some time to treat yourself- It's the month of love, so make sure to treat yourself to something as well. Just a little pick-me-up to remind yourself that you are important.

• Get really into a new series or music artist- It is so fun to explore different genres and to get excited about something new.

• Pick up Baking- Learn how to bake something new and share it with people. The community part is important because it makes other people feel supported and also makes you feel good.

Thank you for tuning in if you have got this far! I will try to post one of these at the end of each month to keep everyone updated. Let me know if you have any other ideas for what I should write about in these blogs (my dms and email are open!)