When in Doubt Make Art: My Reply and Reactions to Covid-19 and Social Injustice

The week that Covid-19 came upon us, our lives changed. People got sick, people began to die, and the world stopped, literally stopped. We began to stay home, teach remotely, wear masks, and started social distancing. The impact of all of this has been enormous. It has been strange, foreign, alarming and uncomfortable, but at the same time calming and reflective. This last statement doesn’t make sense. In the chaos, I have found peace and time to reflect.

I immediately started making art. At first, I made art because of the stress. Everything had changed instantly and making art was a form of comfort. I was instantly drawn to weaving paper together and decided to start repurposing some prints and paper pulp paintings that were not up to par. The weaving process was therapeutic and printing on the surface was exciting. I have been embossing, printing, weaving, painting, and drawing. All of these processes have created unique surfaces that express thoughts and emotions that I have been experiencing that relate to the “new normal” within our immediate community and the greater world. The houses represent all the people, the communities, the states, and the nations that are living through this pandemic. The mark making are the conversations, the emotions, and the words that are not meant to be heard. The colors can be conflicting and dramatic. They can also be peaceful for those moments that we forget and are able to breath cautiously. This body of work is being spontaneously created to reflect a personal, yet worldly reaction to the Covid-19 Pandemic!

……and then the murder of George Floyd happened.  Do I need to say more? My latest pieces reflect my reactions to the peaceful gatherings of humans, of all races, to express their feelings on the inequality and injustice that has been prevalent in the US for as long as it has existed!