Best wishes for you all in 2020 for a creative New Year!
In years past following my look back at what occurred over the past year is this; my article about my outlook for what might lie ahead. Like any good project manager I think setting some goals to accomplish is neccessary to set your artistic rudder in the right direction in order to accomplish anything. Otherwise you will just drift around in the hopes that you will land your ship somewhere.
In last year’s 2019 planning message I had included a photograph of a budding plant from my Memory Pods project. That photo was a bit self-serving, but since the Memory Pods project was going to be part of my main focus for the year, it seemed a relevant image for me.
This year, my urban landscape, above, is symbolically visually vague, ambiguous and abstract. There is a side-path representing 2020 that branching off the Main Street of life, with the budding trees representing a new season. The abstract blurring feels relevant this year; I sort of know where I am heading but with perhaps more uncertainty in what will happen.
I do know that I will continue developing two key projects from last year; Gardening For Ordnance and Memory Pods. There are still some things I need to do for both of these. I am also re-thinking my 2018 project Middle Ground, and there will be more about that over the next couple of months. Not sure that I will be starting another project this year, but I can never tell what might pop-up! So I will keep my experimental/play process fully engaged.
I have one book development workshop scheduled (see below) and I will be sending out some workshop proposals to few other organizations to see about booking another. Likewise, I will probably be participating with LACP and their portfolio reviews this summer, as well as doing some more coaching with other artists and photographers to help them navigate the bumpy artistic waters.
Another goal is to make more grant proposals and a greater effort in exhibition submission opportunities now that I have the new printer up and working (does increase my confidence now that I have a reliable printer).
I will continue spending a lot of time with PhotoBook Journal magazine; I have been developing a great crew to help with this and I really do enjoy book objects. win-win.
Cheers!
Doug
Featured photograph: In Transit, JiaShan, China, Winter copyright 2008 Douglas Stockdale
2020 Workshop: Developing a Creative Book workshop with Medium Photo, March, 19-22, 2020, a four-day extended weekend workshop in San Diego (workshop registration is now open)
Singular Images 
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