2023 Year End Summary

 

Art vs Artist 2023 

As I start to write this, it is about 2 and a half hours before the end of 2024 where I am located.  It has been a very busy year, a little bit more risky than previous years and less financially great but the projects were more personally fulfilling.

I started this year continuing to work as one of the animation director's for an upcoming Netflix show with Studio Moshi, which I did till the end of May. I was helping lead a team of about 40 animators.  It was full on but quite rewarding, especially when I got to meet the crew around October.  Doing everything online was challenging and it was lovely putting faces to names. The show itself looks fabulous and I am looking forward to seeing it and talking about it. Unfortunately, until there is a press release and streaming, can't really talk about it!

During Studio Moshi I also signed up with Artshine licensing in February and because of that I managed to get some of my older work licenced and had the opportunity to submit more work to companies.  I also created look books this year and now have a better idea on how to present my work.  I also created a few collection specifically for Artshine which I would not have, otherwise.

Patterns available for licencing with Artshine 

While I was at Moshi, I also finished a new collection: Charming Coastal Creatures for Kennard and Kennard. It's always a learning experience creating new patterns to a theme and seeing what a client might like. The elements are all hand drawn and then edited and coloured up in Photoshop.

Charming Coastal Creatures Collection

The next big thing that took up a good chunk of the end of the year for me was signing a contract with Hardie Grant Publishing as an illustrator to work on one of their books. It is an animal fact book and again I can't say much because it hasn't been released yet but it took me about 4 months on and off to get it fully finished.  There were delays but it all came together beautifully at the end, I must say.  I cannot wait to see a test of the book, fully bound and to show it off to everyone. The animals were all hand drawn, then edited and coloured in Photoshop.  The backgrounds were a combination of digital and hand drawn elements. I finally finished everything in mid-December.

I was also very busy in September and October for several Artshine fabric pattern submissions. I managed to even create another full pattern collection by the end of October, my Harvest Mingle Collection.  Not sure how it did.  I had one pattern that may possibly get printed in 2025 (not a typo) but I don't know yet.  Licencing is a real long game...well it has been for me anyway.

Harvest Mingle Collection available to licence with Artshine

The last major thing I accomplished this year was my last Look Book of my Steampunk Whimsy Collection, finished right after I submitted in late December before I decided to call it a year. 

Ah, forgot to mention that I also did a freelance gig in late July-early August which helped keep my financially afloat. Since a lot of the work I did this year is royalty based, I didn't earn much money at all in 2023, to be frank.  It's been a hard slog.  Though I am creatively very happy, my wallet is needing some sustenance.  It would be really nice to be able to balance both in 2024.  We shall see.  All in all, it was a year of learning, taking risks and personal fulfilment and goals and undertaking new experiences. I am looking forward to seeing what 2024 will bring.  Either way, every year that you survive with everything intact is a win for me!  

Hope you all have an amazing New Year's Eve!