2015 year in review

What sticks out most is the transition from 14th to 18th st.  Winter in the old studio was terrible, no heat, then broken pipes, then no water, and the trickle of fear that our time there was rapidly coming to an end.

The scramble to find new space was relatively easy, but the move was painful.  Way too drawn out, and hard to consolidate 4 big rooms of stuff into one.  A lot was tossed and sold, but 8 months later I'm feeling a little too packed in here with supplies, wood, plants, inventory, and mementos.  Time to spend some time on reorganizing things so they work better.

I LOVE the new studio.  I feel independent, and the space works well.  the scale is right for working and printing, and the window and balcony are HUGE pluses.  The neighborhood is great.  Quiet and still super convenient to everything.  Parking in the summer -- not so great.

But it's weird sometimes being alone.  95% of the time I like it, but there are times when I feel isolated, and I miss easy access to Tom and sally.

Not such a great year business wise.  Things started out slow, and didn't pick up until the fall.   Buzz just sort of coasted along, and H St. Never happened.  Navy Yard Buzz closed, the Slaters was redesigned around Halloween.  It was a long run at BUZZ, and I was ready for things to change, but I'm going to miss the exposure.  I still have artwork up in Ballston, but it's just a matter of time.  I'm expecting a change soon.

Artomatic was pushed to the fall, and was just kind of blah.  The location was not so great, and the timing in the year was terrible.  All the excitement from the past wasn't there.  Still good to do (I guess), but I just wasn't feeling it.

Everything picked up in the fall, which was good.  Finished out the year strong with lots of commissions and pretty good sales.  Dolcezza went well (as always) and Art on the Avenue too.  Like I say almost every year, it's time for NEW!  New artwork, cards and shirts.  New shows and new alliances and friends.  I'm anxious for new energy.

So I'm ending 2015 on a good note, but muddled at the same time.  Some great things I've long depended on have ended, and I'll be moving on.  I'm really curious (as always) to see where 2016 will take me.

2014 Wrap up

2013 Wrap up

2012 Wrap up

2011 Wrap up

2010 Wrap up

2009 Wrap up

Christmas 2015 came and went.

Lots of hustle bustle this week.  I feel like it was 50 weeks bundled into one.  Every day was a calculation of time and effort.  Little tasks leading to bigger tasks to final tasks.

In the end everything worked out (best it could).

Shirts got mailed, prints got made, cards got delivered, drawings were accomplished and emailed, dogs were dropped off, groceries were gotten, gifts were bought, cakes were baked, gifts were wrapped, parties were attended, gifts were given, meals were eaten, games were played.

Little things to remember:

shopping (misery) at target
rainy and WARM
Christmas eve at Tanya's, and being trapped behind the table and unable to get more food
Driving to Rockville Christmas morning with Remi with the top down
The raw Prime rib and cold cauliflower
reading through Irene's letters

Always happy to wrap up the year, and look forward to the next.  Being a better, brighter, smarter, more disciplined, less lazy DAVE.

Sort of busy week ahead, but nothing like the weeks behind.  What a crazy December!

2015 - the year through pictures

2013 year in pics

2014 year in pics

Freezing INSIDE - super cold winter, heat broken at studio

Cold dogs mini prints - how appropriate for 2015 winter

Shaw starbucks - venturing out into the POLAR VORTEX

Protection from ceiling leaks, just before all hell broke loose -

Tom and Hexy, cleaning up to move

Temp washout station in Toms kitchen while water out in mine

News about loosing the studio breaks!

Wallpaper !

wallpaper install !

the long goodbye - always leaving odds and ends on sidewalk

Moving day (1 of too many!)

Luke working before moving

Remi's (historic) bday!

B E F O R E (so happy to finally unload at moving sale)

AFTER (ugh) 

Looking good!  She got these for a steal! (moving sale)

Laying out new studio!

Move in day! April 15 2015

took awhile, but finally found a great layout

Final setup!  Love it

sign for the door!

New design was a hit!

balcony garden BEFORE

balcony garden AFTER !

JAck and Remi, summer 2015

Dog Days 2015 ! fun on the sidewalk

Virginia yard sale 2015!

Flag t - a big hit this summer

OVERLORD, mobile print (dave's fav print 2015)

Dolcezza installation Fall 2015

MCA Fall open studio 2015, with special guest star Magoo

Fall commission

artomatic 2015

prints for artomatic 2015

inventive display for Pixies Holiday show

Ugh - Holiday show at ACE

Harper commission (RIP)

Remi the Queen xoxoxoxox

diet dr pepper and a cinnamon / raisin bagel with cream cheese (and jack)

Today I popped a screen and walked straight through the screen door.  For the record.

Super busy week - extra hours and 1,000 tasks each day.  One thing gets finished, and I'm on to the 100 others right behind it.  Crazy -- don't remember being this under the gun during the holidays since catalog time at BSUR.

Commission drawings, prints, t-shirts, drop offs, pick ups.

I'm making my way down my list, but not out of the woods yet.  Trying my hardest to keep up steam.

TIRED
DRAINED
BUSY

Last week was in overdrive.  Hopefully I can catch up!  Good productive day today.

f o c u s e d.

Forging ahead….

Friday night at Ms Pixies was fun.  Got a great space in front, and lots of fun people streaming through.  Memorable woman from the juice bar next door -- she could not stop laughing as she looked through the shirts.  She just worked herself into a frenzy and it was contagious.

Saturday was spent making shirts for Sunday -- which was kind of a bust.  Nice idea, but tough to get people to come all the way up to the third floor, so traffic was super slow.  Another learning experience.  So glad when 5pm came!

Nice party for Hexy on Saturday night at Sheon's.  Same crew but with Bill & Javi, and all the good food we always get.

Good Monday today -- going down my list.  LOTS to do, but I got a good night sleep, so I don't feel so manic.  I guess that is whats most important.

Busy social week coming up.  Hopefully I stay in this mood!

W O W

super busy days doing 1000 things.  Ran around today shipping and returning emails and packing and finishing prints and folding cards and folding shirts.

crazy

terrible rainy weather makes everything shitty outside.  better weatehr going forward hopefully.

dark at 4:30.  ugh

Thanksgiving in leesburg went well.  Turkey turned out perfect.  But the whole day I was tired because we got up so early to drive out there and get the bird in the oven.

Using Friday and today to catch up on drawing.  I've felt like I'm in this drawing swamp, and I'm fighting to get out.  Making progress which is good.  All I can do is keep at it.

Wednesday was tough.  Not so happy with how JDI cards turned out, so I scrambled to fix.  In the end I think it will be just fine.

Ok - back to drawing!

Good productive past few days, running down my list.  I set myself up to be on deadline, and I guess that is what I need to get stuff done.  BUT - feeling under the gun.

working on drawings and printed KONA today.  and some fun special order shirts.

Started the week out much better than now.  As days went on, I became more muddled and bogged down.  Probably has to do with the muddled and bogged down prints I've been working on.

Just keep chugging along!

new sign

Megan + open studio

Weird SOHO moment

Bad Blogger lately.

Seems like the last thing to do in the day, and the days have been going by fast.

Artomatic shift went well.  Got to be the "clicker" and greeter, counting people as they came in.  Did ok for a wednesday night, but my thinking is that this artomatic has been a bummer.  The location is just terrible in terms of getting people to come.  Oh well.  One more shift left in December.

Had a great time in NYC with Hexy over the weekend.  Lots of walking, especially saturday, but it's fun being in a new place.  All our senses were engaged, with is really nice.  Everything is new and exciting and interesting.

Great seeing cliff, and his "new" apt.  Really miss having him around.

We got back yesterday, and after a 5 hour bus ride, I wasn't much into working.  The rest of the day went fast, and this morning it was back to the routine.

Lots to print and draw next few days, which is good.  Busy is always good.

Days going by fast!

good MCA weekend.  Sunday redeemed rainy gloomy Saturday.

off to 2nd ARTOMATIC shift (ugh)

Lots to do as always…

November is here, and strangely warm.  Nice to be wearing shorts in the studio.

The time has changed, but Hexy and Remi haven't fully adjusted.  Mornings are earlier than I want them to be!

Gearing up for MCA this weekend, and all beyond.  Business has picked up and I have a long list of drawing and print projects to tackle.  A good place to be.

Heard early Friday that BUZZ was remodeling on Slaters, and I needed to pick up my prints asap.  On one hand a big bummer, but a slow fade that's been happening for months (years?) now.  Still, the exposure has been GREAT, and I was sad to make the big change.  After our yard sale Saturday we went by, and packed up.  I need to go back and see when we first installed.  Years ago.  I never expected it to go on this long!

Yard sale -- really great at clearing things out, not so great at making money.  But that's the way things go.  Just follows the pattern of the entire year.

F I N A L L Y was able to swap prints at Dolcezza last night.  We went over at 10:30 (!), and still … still … still (!) there were people sitting around that table, camped out.  Crazy - don't these people have anywhere else to go??

Anyway, I asked this guy nicely if he could move so I could work on the wall behind him.  He said something like "In 15 minutes when they close".  We waited a bit, then just decided to work around him.  What a jerk.

recents

YARD SALE 2015

Ronnie as Cookie

Packing up prints from BUZZ, end of an era

Remi, in all her glory

Fern fro!