December 17, 2024

Artist Goals for 2025

Happy New Year! Today we’re sharing goals and intentions for the new year from some amazing artists around the world.

By The Art Toolkit Team

A hand holding an open sketchbook with a watercolor landscape painting featuring trees and mountains, titled "Welcome To My Office" by Scott T. Bailey. A small watercolor palette is attached at the top. In the background, a natural outdoor setting with tall trees and a clear sky is visible.

Genine Carvalheira

A person with short hair is seated at a desk, sketching in a notebook with watercolor paints and a brush. The workspace includes various art supplies, a glass of water, and a computer monitor in the background.
Watercolor supplies arranged on a wooden table, featuring a palette with vibrant colors, a paintbrush, a container of water, and a sketchbook open to a colorful landscape of layered mountains. A few sketches and stamps are visible nearby.
A sketched scene of a decorative bandstand in a park, surrounded by trees and people. In the background, soft watercolor hues depict historic buildings, including a dome and a tower, against a white backdrop.
A person sitting on a wooden bench on a boat, surrounded by mountains and water. They are wearing a dark jacket and have short curly hair, smiling at the camera.

“In 2025, I’m focusing on improving my skills in drawing people to enhance the storytelling aspect of my work. I’m also excited to finalize plans for a 2026 workshop retreat in Europe, where I can share inspiration and ideas with others who love art and travel. Additionally, I’m looking forward to getting back into bookbinding.”

Learn more about Genine and her artwork on her website and on Instagram. Photos courtesy of Genine.

Nishant Jain

A hand holding a small sketchbook featuring a drawing of people waiting at a Seabus station, with speech bubbles and the date "19 MAR 2024" noted below the illustration. In the background, empty blue seats are visible.
A person with a beard smiles while holding a framed line drawing of a bridge and waterfront scene. The background features various artworks hanging on the wall.
A colorful, abstract sketch depicting various figures, including parents and children, engaged in interactions. Some characters are holding objects like a bottle and a book, while speech bubbles express uncertainty and responses like "No?" and "Maybe?" at the bottom, a date and note read AUG A CHALLENGING FEED.
A hand holds a sketchbook open to a drawing of a waterfall surrounded by trees and cliffs. In the background, a cascade can be seen in a natural environment with visitors in the distance.

“This year, I did many new things after the birth of my son, Rohan. With the plan to draw him (nearly) every day, I experimented with color in my work using POSCA markers and colored pencils. Next year, I want to continue this trajectory of experimentation and growth.

I like to work with minimalist palettes, so my tools of choice are 3-4 colors, either markers or pencils with a water brush. In 2025, I am also eager to learn more hand skills—with bookbinding and linocut printmaking at the top of the list. I want to use these skills to make prints and zines that support my practice of giving away as much art as possible. I will leave zines and prints in little free libraries around town and mail drawings to readers of my newsletter around the world.”

Learn more about Nishant and his artwork on his Substack and on Instagram. Photos courtesy of Nishant.

John Muir Laws

Sketches of an owl in various poses, showcasing detailed features and textures. Text notes about the owl's hunting behavior and habitat accompany the illustrations. The background features soft green hues, enhancing the natural setting.
A group of four people sitting on the ground in a forested area, engaged in outdoor learning. One adult is sketching a large leaf in a notebook, while three children observe and take notes. Sunlight filters through the trees, creating a natural, serene atmosphere.
Sketches of various birds, including a juvenile with distinctive markings and notes on their behavior and habitat. The drawings feature different poses and details, with annotations in a creative notebook.
A sketched bird, possibly a kestrel, perched on a post, with annotations and diagrams around it showing its posture, behavior, and wind effects. Handwritten notes detail observations and environmental conditions.

“My goal for the new year is to dedicate as much time as possible to teaching people of all ages how to pay deeper attention to the natural world through keeping a nature journal. My working definition of love is “sustained, compassionate attention.” When we pay this kind of deep attention to the natural world, we fall in love, and we become motivated to work to protect this earth we all share. This work has never been more important than it is right now.”

— John Muir Laws, award-winning author, artist, educator, and co-founder of the Wild Wonder Foundation

Learn more about John and his work on his website and on Instagram. Photos courtesy of John.

Brooke Morales

A woman sitting on a rock by a stream, smiling as she paints. She wears a wide-brimmed hat and a light-colored shirt, with art supplies and paper beside her. Lush greenery and trees surround the natural setting.
A person holding an open sketchbook with a watercolored landscape featuring trees and mountains. The sketchbook page is titled "Welcome To My Office?" and includes an artist's palette above it. The scene is set outdoors with greenery surrounding the artist.
A hand holds an open sketchbook featuring a watercolor landscape titled "Aspen Glen" with a tree and mountains in the background. A portable watercolor set is attached above the sketchbook against a backdrop of green hills and partly cloudy skies.
Four sketches of skies with captions reading dates, times, and weather data.

“2025 will mark the third year of my 365 Skies project, where I paint the sky daily. One of my goals is to share watercolor windowscapes more widely through classes and workshops, introducing others to this simple yet meditative watercolor practice.

Nature journaling remains another key focus, as it helps me become more curious and attentive about the world around me while simultaneously improving my artistic skills through sketching, painting, and sketch-noting. I’m currently working toward my Nature Journaling Educator Certificate and am in the process of completing a 6-month stewardship program. It’s an exciting journey I’m eager to share!

Finally, 2025 will find me continuing to develop my core art skills. I’m currently two months into Marshall Vandruff’s year-long perspective class and am excited about the work ahead. I plan to complement this deep dive with supplemental studies of light and color, working from books by James Gurney.”

Learn more about Brooke and her artwork on her YouTube channel and on Instagram. Photos courtesy of Brooke.

Sushma Hegde

A woman in a light blue dress with white flowers paints vibrant pink flowers on paper at a wooden table. Surrounding her are art supplies and a vase of fresh flowers, and colorful artwork is displayed on the wall behind her.
A bright yellow flower with green leaves is painted on a textured white sheet of paper, accompanied by a real flower and leaves nearby. A paintbrush is partially visible on a wooden table.
Watercolor painting of pink flowers with green leaves on textured paper. A palette of vibrant colors is nearby, along with fresh hibiscus blossoms scattered on a wooden table.
A watercolor painting in progress showing a landscape with trees and a path, alongside a palette of paints and a cup of green water. A used paper towel lies nearby, and the setup is placed on a small easel outdoors.

“In 2025, I want to focus on creating for myself by painting without overthinking, trying new things, and quieting those little negative voices.

I also want to share more of what I’ve learned, whether through courses, workshops, or sharing tips that make a difference. Art has given me so much, and I hope to make painting feel approachable and fun for anyone who wants to try!

It’s really about finding a balance between nurturing my own creativity while giving others the tools and encouragement to explore theirs.”

Learn more about Sushma and her artwork on her website and on Instagram. Photos courtesy of Sushma.
An artist sites on a rock, dipping a paintbrush in a Pocket Palette.

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