Pandemic Changes

COVID-19 CHANGES THE WORLD

Who knew the changes that 2020 would bring to the entire world? When was the last time the entire world was affected by something this large? This simple viral protein has dramatically altered the entire globe in ways we couldn't have predicted. These changes happened so rapidly that many of us are still reeling. Our everyday lives have also changed. Many of us are working from home instead of going into work or home schooling our children. It's no exaggeration to say many of our lives have been upended.

People have been trying to cope as best as they can. It has been challenging to find new ways to cope when many of our coping skills may have been taken from us: visiting with friends and family, going to the gym, traveling, going to concerts or festivals, etc. Many of us have had plans which we've had to change or cancel. We've all certainly had to adapt to many changes recently.

FLEXIBILITY IS THE KEY

Being flexible and willing to make changes is key to surviving and even thriving in these challenging times. This is as true for artists as for others. Many artists have adapted readily to these circumstances. Being flexible is so important to managing the stress of change. 

Like other artists, I've cut out travel to paint. This is a beautiful time to paint the Ozarks, but I've decided it's best to stay home at this time. I've even had concerns about visiting the local park to paint because I thought many other people would be at the park. Prior to this time of social distancing, I enjoyed people coming up to talk or look at my painting. I'm concerned that people's curiosity will be greater than their social distancing. Since I have an elderly relative living with me, I feel that I need to think about her more than my desires. 

MANY CHANGES

While many things have changed, the inside of my house has remained much the same. I'm sure many of you have noticed that as well. It's oddly disconcerting that our walls still look exactly the same as they did last week. Rather than alternating on working on plein air or landscape paintings with still life paintings, I've been exclusively working on still life works. In this setting of isolating for the good of others (my elderly relative, my neighbors, and my community), I needed a change in something.

I don't know if it was the incoming storm, boredom, or completing still life after still life, but I decided to change up my palette. I had been using a relatively low chroma palette of seven colors plus white and switched to a high chroma palette of three colors plus white. The Pandemic Tornado painting ended up being the first painting with this palette. I really liked the palette and kept it for the next painting and then the next. So far it is sticking with me. 

TELLING THE STORY

One of the jobs of artists is to tell the story of our lives. This pandemic is the biggest story of our lives. This is bigger than anything else we've faced and, hopefully, ever will face. One of the interesting parts of pandemic is that so many people hoarded toilet paper at the outset that there was a shortage of toilet paper. I think many people have wondered what toilet paper has to do with a viral respiratory illness. 

I find this interesting twist in this pandemic is one of the more interesting parts. This is why I wanted to capture this moment in a painting. Homemade hand sanitizer and toilet paper, now a hot commodity. This painting not only told the story of a pandemic, it was also interrupted by an EF-3 tornado in Jonesboro. I went downstairs to our safe room with our dogs for the duration of the danger. Initially it was like most tornado watches/warnings, as you can see below, but as the meteorologists covering the storm became more and more concerned and told everyone in the path of the storm to seek shelter, it got serious. The storm had produced a tornado prior to Jonesboro and another tornado was produced a short mile or two past our house. 

How do you tell the story of the tornado interrupting the pandemic still life? I'm not sure, but one of my facebook followers suggested adding a tornado in the background. The more I think about it, the better it sounds. How else do you tell the story of putting a pillow over your head while kneeling on the floor hoping the storm passes over without dropping a tornado? I can't think of a better way. I may put this back on the easel to add a subtle tornado in the background. 

POSITIVE CHANGE

Many times when we are faced with change in our lives, even upheaval, we find some part of the change helpful. May be we are all washing our hands more, this can't be a bad thing. May be shaking hands will not be a custom we continue to practice going forward which may cut down on the rate of infection from the flu by 50% going forward. One positive change I've seen is in my painting palette. Spontaneously I decided to change it, and I really love the change. What I thought would be for a painting or two (at most), is looking more and more like my permanent palette every day. 

What positive changes are you seeing in your life as a result of the pandemic? What positive changes would you like to see going forward?