International Painting Party

A little over six years ago, I was looking for a fun, community event to host on my blog and came up with the idea for NaMoPaiMo.

The premise was simple: commit to paint a single three dimensional model horse - any size, any medium - during the month of February.

I did it...

and so did a whole bunch of my friends.

That first year was so much fun, I rdidn't think anything could ever touch it. Happily, I was wrong. 2018 was bigger and better in every way.

I was so enamored with my little event, I sent out almost two hundred prizes that year, each with a handwritten thank you note.

In 2019, seven hundred seventy five people participated. Together, we painted five hundred forty seven models.

My enthusiasm was unwavering. I thought would run NaMoPaiMo forever.

photo by Kristian Beverly

Then came 2020, which was - except for January! - the worst year ever.

It was also the first year that BreyerWest came to Denver. In February.

I did not enjoy this NaMoPaiMo the way I'd enjoyed its predecessors. Administrative challenges abounded, so much so, I barely had time to paint my own horse. I tried - and failed - to do all the things at BreyerWest. By the end of the month, I was exhausted, frustrated and ready to be done with the whole thing.

Then - just a couple weeks later - the whole world changed.

After a year of isolation, everyone needed a big community event. I went all out for NaMoPaiMo 2021, and it ended up being the biggest one ever, with one thousand one hundred seventy three participants and seven hundred thirty finished models.

BreyerWest returned to Denver in 2022, and once again, it was right at the end of NaMoPaiMo.

This time I was more prepared and did a much better job of juggling both events. I had a great time at BreyerWest.

As for NaMoPaiMo... It went okay, but for the first time ever, there were declines both in participation and - more significantly - the completion rate.

It was also the first year in which I didn't a model in the final collage.

Nothing lasts forever, and it feels like perhaps, NaMoPaiMo has run its course. My life is in a much different place than it was six years ago, and I simply do not have the time or energy to continue investing so much of myself into this. That said, I'm not quite ready to let go, so I've come up with a compromise. 

I'm still working out the details, but consider yourself invited to the International Model Horse Painting Party!