I feel so grateful to spend another year making art and sharing it with you all. Here are a few snippets from the year:
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The most loved print was...
‘Dancing Sky’… Runner ups were ‘Summer Evening’ ‘Fish Under the Olives’ and ‘Tea Time’
My favorite paintings from each collection this year were...
The Charleston Garden - ‘Madame’
Al Fresco - ‘Clementine’ or ‘Old Friends’
Sun Moon and Sea - ‘Summer Tides’ and ‘Pathway To the Beach 1”
Holiday - ‘Night Light No. 24’ and ‘Season Study - No. 22’
The series that was the hardest to work on and why...
This was my third year in a row doing ‘Al Fresco’ and while I love the series, at the beginning I was struggling to make it feel fresh and new. I ended up working through it in my sketchbook. I thought through the color palettes of each piece more than I usually do, and that pushed me to work with colors I’m not typically using in a big way. I love the way ‘Clementine’ is almost all green except the pop of orange.
Something new I tried was...
Teaching workshops! Teaching a workshop at Melisses in Greece and then another at Palmetto Bluff was incredibly fun for me. After years of painting from my own intuition and thoughts, I enjoyed articulating my process. Also, it was refreshing to meet so many of my collectors or social media followers in person, to build a personal connection! I really enjoyed it!
The most watched reel was...
Sun Moon + Sea with 63.4k views
My favorite color I used this year was...
Charvin - Naples Yellow
My favorite memory from the studio this past year was...
my mom moved to Charleston and started shipping out all of my prints. I remember the first lunch we all sat down and were chatting, and it felt like an out of body moment… like she’s really here and going to be in the studio on regular basis. Dream come true!
A goal I had and reached was...
working with one of my favorite brands, Hotel Magique! I love the European holiday feel of all their products. When they did a ‘Call for Artists’ I was so excited to apply. I focused on the scenes I loved from traveling through Greece, and painted those in all blue. I was elated when my works were chosen, and now that they’ve been released, I feel very proud of how my pieces fit their collection.
A goal I had, but didn’t reach was… a coffee table book! I’ve had dreams for a while of creating a coffee table book out of my sketchbook pages. We started working towards this goal, but I’ve realized, I think I need a bit more time and experience before I am ready to take on such a big project. I’ve been a full time artists for 7 years now, so maybe it’ll be a year 10 project. Who knows!
The person who inspired my paintings the most was...
Matilda Goad! After watching her home tour, she really inspired me to put colors together that aren’t my usual combinations. I love her use of pattern too! Her products and home feel playful yet grown up- a perfect balance.
A change that happened this year was...
hiring Margo! At the beginning of the year, Margo took over our art releases and has done such a great job. I love the way she has put time and effort in to the look book so every collector has a chance to see my process and get inside my mind as I build these collections.
My favorite email or comment I received was...
from Fiona from the workshop in Greece:
"I thought the most special thing about the whole experience was seeing Blakely paint and draw in real life, and hearing her talk in such a relaxed, conversational manner with us about her own practice and life as an artist.”
The most liked product was...
The most liked product was… The ‘Sullivan’s Scarf’ This is one of my favorite pieces of art, and the original painting hangs in my home. It’s such a sweet memory of summer in the marsh, and I love that it will enter into so many other’s lives through the silk scarf.
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Cheers to another year of just magic!
1 comment
Jan 12, 2023
Blakely, I’ve just found you recently- and I’m a big fan! Thank you for sharing all of the above- so nice to get a little slice of life/what studio practice is like for you. Cheers to a beautiful year ahead!