Arden Ellen Nixon
patreon
2025 = Weird (Updated)
🕑 Added 2025-12-31 15:05:20 +0000 UTCUPDATE: Autocorrect did me dirty regarding the spelling of artist Graye Muir-Lewis' name. My sincerest apologies for not catching it before publishing, but it's corrected now!
It wasn't a bad year, per say; nor was it a good year. More than anything, it was a year of, "Oh, this, too? Okay, here's trying" and muddling through to the best of my ability. Said ability was surprisingly effective more often than not, but I certainly hope to require my Responsible Adult Hat (TM) far less in 2026!
2025 saw so much giving. I seldom write about it because I'm firmly in the camp of "Do good for its own sake / ding-dong-ditch generosity," but rest assured that I was consistently, quietly donating time, art, and what little spare monies came around to places (pantries, little free libraries) and causes (no kill shelters, my local library, little free pantry fundraisers) that I genuinely believe help anyone and everyone.
"Serenity"
10 x 8"
Acrylic on canvas
Trade for our free cast iron tub!
Most of spring was dedicated to ensuring a deceased artist friend had the Artist Guest of Honor show they deserved at Constellation. Graye Muir-Lewis was a fantastic artist and illustrator; credit and many thanks to Graye's loved ones for trusting me to prepare their remaining art work. Credit, too, to the con staff for running with my suggestion to keep Graye as AGoH and Graye's family's suggestion to host Graye's Celebration of Life there. It really was GrayeCon, as was only right and proper for someone who had given so much to the event and to the community.
The con's shirt design: My cats running amuck with a time portal, which looks on Graye's design for the first ever ConStellation.
As for me, it was the year without my hands... which also made it the year of the garden and assorted house projects as I did my level best to channel my frustrations productively. The garden had a landmark year of productivity, and I hit a stride with home improvements that had been a longtime coming. That said, It was also a privately heartbreaking year where I pondered who I was without my hands. I did my best to give them time off and to keep my sanity projects to a fine motor skill minimum (paint rollers aren't complicated). My sincerest thanks to all the artists who empathized with me at cons and shared their own experiences/struggles and advice--we can tell so much about each other, just by how we hold (or can't hold) our hands.
Our renewed cast iron tub's sexy gams. Thank goodness for home improvement sanity projects!
My thanks go out to all of you and everyone, everyone, who stuck by me and supported my art even when I found myself unable to make any. Your encouragement was free-flowing and kept me aloft when it would have been so easy to despair. Perhaps, in addition to "weird," I should ascribe another word to 2025: Gratitude.
Weird + Gratitude = 2025
Yeah, that sounds about right!
May you all be well and wonderful, my friends, and may 2026 be everything we need it to be.
"Found Family"
12 x 9"
Acrylic on canvas
SOLD
