2021 Angela Fehr Watercolor Calendar

September always seems too soon to start thinking about reviewing the paintings of the past year, but that’s what I do in September, choosing paintings for my annual watercolor calendar. It’s actually a great time to look back as often I fall into a bit of a “have I accomplished ANYTHING this year?” doldrum and need to take the time to see that yes, I have made paintings that I can be proud of this year, and I’ve even gotten just a little bit better at painting in the brush miles I’ve logged through the year!

(Are you surprised that professional artists ask these questions and feel these feelings? You should know by now that I am nothing if not honest about the emotional baggage we artists carry around!)

This year has gone very differently than we all expected, and the art I created this year has felt unexpected as well. Truthfully, my goal is always to invite surprise into my painting process; there is no creativity if all is predictable. Every painting starts with the question, “How do I paint this?” and the answer is found in the doing.

As I flipped through the calendar pages, I see my art journey change before my eyes. One thing that remains the same is my mindset of curiosity and engagement with the world around me. Artists are people who are intent on seeing; we take the time to look and observe and then we invite ourselves into what we’ve seen by reacting through our art. Fully engaged.

It is my hope that you find yourself engaging in a deeper and more significant way with the world around you; that perhaps the art in your life invites you to connect more deeply and find a peaceful pause. It makes me so happy to think that these paintings that have brought me joy, that spark an emotional response every time I see them, that they will provide a similar moment for you, every day of 2021.

Here’s a quick video flipping through the 2021 Angela Fehr Watercolor calendar: