2023 Year in Review: First Full Year as an Artist and Mother

Postpartum Paintings by Stephanie Eche at Tin Cup, Brooklyn, NY

This past year was my first full year as a mom and artist. I did not know what to expect and have made many big and small changes throughout the year. My husband and I have adjusted as needed, but we are still figuring out how to make the most of our time as business owners and parents. 

I have eagerly asked other parents who are business owners or artists, or both, how they keep everything going and what I’ve learned is that there really is no one way. Before I had my child I got the advice from another artist and mother that You have to do what works for you and your family, which was the most useful thing I’ve heard. You can only figure out what works for you and your family through trial and error.

For us, we have childcare most days during the week and I am the main caregiver the rest of the time. My husband often has to work evenings and weekends, but he is also often available if and when I need him or just to hangout. I share this to say, I have a very unique situation that works for my family and that is how I am able to continue my art practice. We also live in New York City, so many things are easier for us, like getting to the pediatrician which is just a short walk away, or going on a walk. However, we don’t have family nearby, so we can’t just drop our child off when we need a break. We also do not have a car.

I almost did not write this post, but when I looked back in this blog I found my previous Year in Review Posts and skimming them made me really happy. I have made major life changes to get to where I am and continue working towards my big life goals. That motivates me to keep trying.

Many people are inspired by celebrities, but I think being inspired by yourself, as cringe as that sounds, is much healthier. I was also inspired to write this post after listening to the Thriving Artists Podcast, Do These Five Things to Celebrate Your Growth episode. I’ve been a member of the Thrive Together Network for almost two years now and it has definitely helped me stay focused on my art practice while navigating new motherhood. I also meet regularly with another artist/mom, Katherine Earle, who I met via a NYC Crit Club class a few years ago. We bonded when she came to my show, Handmade Landscapes: Ocean Meets Sky, in Chelsea back in 2021. Our meetings have kept me motivated, especially because we can share our big art dreams and our small domestic wins, like getting our babies to sleep or dealing with diaper rash.


My past Year in Review blog posts:


2023 art highlights

The Thrive Together Network has a Thriving Artists Map that I used loosely this past year. It has pages for you to set goals by quarter, which is something I like to do, and gives you space to record highlights throughout the year. This helped me both be realistic about my art goals and also celebrate my wins. I still plan more or less how I describe in my post, how I plan my year, but in a much less detailed way. I used to spend a lot of time planning and I’m learning how to speed it up, without eliminating it, so I can spend more time enjoying my life.

As I’ve started accomplishing, or progressing towards accomplishing, some of my bigger goals it feels nice to have more open space in my life instead of obsessively planning every little thing. It is easy to get caught up in planning for the future without actually enjoying the present; living in anticipation of the next vacation you already planned. I am happy to say I no longer live like this.

Here are my 2023 artist highlights:

Postpartum Paintings Exhibit at Tin Cup

I am really happy that I pushed myself to create work inspired by early drawings I did after I had my baby (who is now a toddler) and that I exhibited it at Postpartum Paintings at Tin Cup in Brooklyn, NY. I was not confident as a painter, having mainly done textile art and printmaking prior to the past couple of years. I am self taught and regularly take classes to learn new skills but sometimes that keeps you in the habit of just making things for a class and not actually using your developing skills for your own content. It also is much easier for me to complete something for someone else than just for myself, and classes help me in this way.

However, in the first year postpartum I not only kept a sketchbook (many actually, both digital and analog), but I developed those drawings into paintings on linen, wood, and ceramic. Then the next year, I bugged my local coffee shop, where I go regularly, until they said yes to my request to host an exhibit in their space for a month, opening during Sunset Park Open Studios.

While I have sold work from this collection, I am most proud that I pushed myself to work in a series on a delicate topic and that I shared work that is new both in content and technique. I also helped my favorite coffee shop show artwork as this was the first time Tin Cup ever hosted an art show. I hope that more local artists show work in this and other spaces so that we can all experience art in everyday places.

Everything, and More, Watercolor, colored pencil, and pastel on Arches 100% cotton paper mounted on wood panel, 9 x 12 x 1.5 in

You Can’t Stay Here Forever Series 

I created the series You Can’t Stay Here Forever during an island vacation on my first trip away from my baby. Each day during my trip I took out my watercolors and pastels and forced myself to capture my feelings and my environment. During this trip, I pumped milk from my breasts every couple of hours to keep up my milk supply. I wrestled with my new role as a mother and the difficulty of filling my own cup while supporting my family and social network. I was able to take this vacation because my parents and sisters watched our baby for my husband and me. I felt guilty about leaving my baby and being able to take a trip at all.

This series is a reminder for me that we all need a rest, a vacation, a true break. We also cannot mother alone. It takes a community of support to raise children.

Weaving Together Talk at THE Old Stone House

In February I participated in an artist panel for the exhibit Belonging, a three-person show including Kimberly Bush, myself, and Traci Johnson, curated by Grace Freedman of Why Not Art. The exhibit was on view at the Old Stone House in Brooklyn, NY the winter of 2022/2023.

I have spoken about my art practice before, but this was the first time it felt serious, if that makes sense. I really loved the other artists and artwork in this show and Grace is an excellent curator and moderator. You can listen to the full panel via my podcast episode Weaving Together: Artist Panel with Kimberly Bush, Stephanie Eche, and Traci Johnson - Ep 27.

Artist Talk for Time/Space Exhibit at Compere

In the spring, I was part of the exhibit Time/Space, which was curated and planned by a collective of mothers and artists (Mother Creatrix Collective). I enjoyed being a part of this collective for this first show and participating in the exhibit’s artist talk. This experience gave me confidence to put on my own show later in the year and it also gave me clarity. While I wanted to continue to be part of the collective, I realized I simply did not have the time to organize one more thing, and being a founding member of the Mother Creatrix Collective was one of the things I had to say no to. I still try to show up for the artists in the collective when I can, but having a toddler, running a business (Communer) with my husband, and having an art practice are my priorities right now, in addition to helping DSA in my ‘free time’.

Co/Lateral, Interlinked, PowerHouse Arts, and RAICES Exhibits

Another highlight of my year was participating in the following exhibitions in New York City: Interlinked at the NARS Foundation in Brooklyn, juried by John Avelluto, Co/lateral at Art Pawn / sk.ART_Enterprise in Manhattan curated by Jody MacDonald, Ceramics Studio Show at Powerhouse Arts in Brooklyn, and RAICES at the Brooklyn Waterfront Artists Coalition in Brooklyn, curated by Tamavis.

Self-Guided MFA Continuing Education

I do not have a BFA, but instead a BA in Communication from the University of Southern California. While I always made things growing up and was always drawn to art, I did not study art. While I may not (yet?) have an MFA, I do what I call a self-guided MFA where I take classes based on techniques I want to learn and artists I want to study with. In 2023 I took the following classes: Painting Tech with Caitlin MacBride, Wheel Throwing with Lilian Wu, Handbuilding with Isolina Minjeong at Gasworks, and Drawing from the Masters with Rami Baglio. I also regularly watch art talks via the NYC Crit Club Artist Lecture Series and YouTube, read novels, listen to audiobooks, and podcasts. If you don’t like what or how you are making art, take a class or do some research. There’s an infinite world, in person and online, to learn from.

PublisheD FIVE First Coat podcast episodes

This past year I published five First Coat podcast episodes including interviews with Marela Zacarías, Elysian Koglmeier, Nicole Mueller, and Angela Adams. I also decided to stop producing podcast episodes as this is another one of the things I had to cut out in order to make time to focus on my priorities. I love interviewing artists and arts professionals and I also love editing the episodes, but it takes a lot of time. I tried hiring someone else to edit but I simply cannot afford to do that when I am not able to support the expense with a free podcast.

Studio Visits with JacquelYne STRYCKER, Jody MacDonald, Marela Zacarías, Kim Hopson

I really enjoyed having studio visits with artists Jacquelyn Strycker, Jody MacDonald, Marela Zacarías, and Kim Hopson.

Joined Powerhouse Arts Community Ceramic Studio

I started learning ceramics online in 2022 via Gasworks and have since taken a handful of classes. I love the studio and because many other people also love it the waitlist to be a member is very long. On a whim my husband and I toured Powerhouse Arts at the end of the summer and I applied to be a member. I got in and I am so happy to be a new member of Powerhouse Arts Community Ceramic Studio!

Excited for 2024

I am very excited to keep making work this year. I am focused on making large(r) ceramic paintings with decals, texture, and glaze, and acrylic paintings on linen and wood. I will be continuing to research the postpartum experience, my mestizo heritage, the assimilation and history of my Chicana family, and draw inspiration from my memories, Jewish learning and Catholic upbringing, art I see and artists I admire (you’ll have to follow me to see who these are!) and my day-to-day life. I think it will be a very fulfilling art year.

STUDIO NOTESStephanie Echeartwork, year of the horse