As I close out the year and ready myself for rest and hibernation, here's a look back at my year and how motherhood shaped my art and my art helped inspire my motherhood.
JANUARY & FEBRUARY:
At the end of last year, I found myself completely overwhelmed, navigating new motherhood while trying to run a business left very little room for creating. So at the start of this year, I pulled back and gave myself space to rethink everything, shifting my focus from Cozy Mercantile Co. to a true art studio. I carved out a tiny corner in our spare bedroom and began painting, exploring, and playing again, keeping an eye out for what might become my first collection
MARCH & APRIL:
I began creating my first collection as an artist and studio in March: The Motherhood Collection which launched in April. I loved the powerful simplicity of that work and learned so much about what it takes to launch a collection. This collection meant so much to me, being a new mother and actually living those quiet moments everyday and then making them come to life on paper.
I completed my first commission of the year for a local business and taught my very first watercolor class, an experience that made me fall in love with the creativity and connection that happens in a room full of people making art together.
MAY & JUNE:
Watercolor classes began to take off, and I ended up hosting three more throughout the spring and summer and started hosting team building classes too!
In June, my baby turned one, and I felt so proud of all of us for making it through that first, beautiful, exhausting year.
During our annual beach vacation, those quiet early-morning walks in the sand sparked a new wave of inspiration, and I began sketching what became the BEACH Collection, which launched mid-July, with the beachy polaroids quickly becoming best sellers! Somewhere in the middle of it all, we survived hand, foot, and mouth twice (!) and logged countless miles outside with the stroller.
JULY & AUGUST:
We spent much of the summer enjoying picnics and living off ice pops to beat the heat. During this time, I also launched my third collection, Sunkissed & Sweet, at the end of August, a love letter to summer inspired by all the fruit we had snacked on all season long.
It was also market season and we made it a family affair! I had my first Easton Farmers Market in early August and Belleville Street Faire to bookend the month where I said gratefully said goodbye to some original pieces from previous collections.
All while quietly starting to dream up the last collection of the year.
SEPTEMBER & OCTOBER:
We spent so much time outside, soaking in the magic of the fall season. I found a new rhythm and, for the first time, felt really efficient preparing for the holiday collection. It helped me be present and unhurried in this season.
I also attended Garlicfest for the first time, which was a fun seasonal highlight where pieces of the BEACH Collection found their new home.
On the flip side, I had to cancel one of my fall watercolor classes, losing money on product and rental fees, but it turned into a valuable learning experience, helping me understand what works and what doesn’t for the future.
NOVEMBER & DECEMBER:
Some of the best months of 2025! I launched The Holiday Heirloom Collection in early November, and it ended up being my most successful launch of the year, thank you to everyone who made that possible.
This year, I scaled back on holidays events, more than I have in the past, to stay home and savor these special moments with my family, feeling truly grateful for the space to do so.
At the same time, it was a turning point for my business as I sent my first out-of-state orders all the way to Texas and New York! More original pieces found their new homes and I began wholesaling some of my work to local businesses. To close out the year, I hosted three more watercolor classes with the promise of more to come in early 2026!
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2025 brought its fair share of highs and lows, but through it all, I’m most grateful for the gift of creating, growing this little art business, and getting to do it all while being home with my girl. It feels like I’m right where I’m meant to be, and I can’t wait to see what art and adventure unfold in 2026.
thanks for being here
- e.
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