Congratulations to Maureen Carlson on her new work which is being shown in a Minneapolis gallery. As we come to the end of the year, it's the perfect time to follow Maureen's lead and dig deeper, venture outside our comfort zones. Here's how Maureen explains her bold leap.

"One of my goals for 2006 was to create some new artwork that explored my feelings about making art, taking risks, opening doors and exploring less familiar paths. I've loved what I've been doing for nearly 30 years now, but I felt that I had more to say that needed to be said in a different style than with the whimsical, smiling faces for which I've become known.

I wanted to explore the full spectrum of emotions and moods and expressions in my work – even if some of that work wasn't pretty or cute or easy to understand – and I needed to make a break from those sweet little people in this new work."