Last month I wrote about how creating a tea towel calendar has become a yearly tradition for me*, but it’s not the only tradition for my art.

This is the 9th year I’ve created a desk calendar with my seasonal watercolor paintings. My calendars are my most popular product and I think they’re my favorite, too.

My art lends itself so well to calendars. As much as I can, I paint with the seasons. My paintings are inspired by botanicals, by nature. It’s such fun to choose a painting for each month (though sometimes the winter months can be a bit of a challenge!).

I adore paper. Books. Magazines. Notebooks. Journals. Sketchbooks. I have a paper address book. I’ll admit I do store phone numbers in my phone, but digital calendars don’t work for me. I like writing things down. By hand. I schedule my life and my business with a very basic paper planner.

It makes sense that my favorite product would be old-school and analog.

I created my first calendar in 2013. I’d been painting for less than three years. Was my art “ready"? Maybe not. But I was following a dream. I learned photoshop to make that dream a reality and looking back I’m so proud of myself for putting my fears aside.

Over the years I’ve refined my style. Streamlined my process. Outsourced the printing.

Each of my designs is special to me, even those early ones. They document my creative journey. My development as an artist. As a business person.

Although I didn’t get to submit my calendars to the Decor8 Calendar Round-Up (the initial inspiration that led to my first calendar — you can read about that here), my calendars were featured in Cottages and Bungalows Magazine.

Definitely a pinch-me moment to be pictured beside Vera Bradley, Paper Source and Rifle Paper!

It’s important to look back once in a while. To remind myself to keep dreaming. To remind myself to keep striving and trying new things.

The 2022 calendar includes some of my favorite paintings.

But I think I say that every year.

What dreams have you brought into reality? What dreams are you still dreaming?

You can find my calendars in my shop or if you’re local at Mac Help and Magpie Gelato.

*Tea towel calendars, wall-hangings and fat quarters of fabric are 50% off on Spoonflower through today!