Community Art Project : Do It at Cotuit

It felt great to work on this life sized mural that connects artist while we are apart. Literally intertwines humans on the canvas and sparks art making in a time when it is easy to feel a loss for the arts.

https://artsonthecape.org/explore/community-art-project-the-connected-together-apart-mural

A New Canvas that spreads Hope, Cheer and More!

All over our town, people are putting up signs of hope during this pandemic. Lots of lovely children's artwork, mostly rainbows and hearts, appear in windows and doors. In the heart of or downtown some homes have had professionally made signs with wonderful messages of positivity, united efforts and strength!  We love love them!

                        

Everyday when we get out for our exercise we savor them. I soak them up and smile! It is so nice to see how artwork can spark hope in us all!

I wanted to let me kids really make signs that everyone on our busy road would see, not just the ones peeking from our windows.

I found blank yard signs on Amazon, and ordered some new Sharpies.
It became a fun evening project full of good intentions and positive thoughts!

Yourself in a Mask

Masks mean so many different things for us.

Make a list of all the ways people use masks. Some positive some negative

• Halloween
• For ceremonies... I was thinking of cool African masks I have seen. 
• To protect yourself against the cold in the winter when you ski
• For surgery or at the dentist office
• When you see a sketch of a bank robber or that scary person in the movies

I am sure you can come up with more. We know the references to "That person" wears a mask, when they don't want us to see their true colors or to present themselves a certain way. We know that part of the disconcerting feelings of masks is that we aren't able to read expressions that people have under the mask. 

So this new state of being in society is very loaded and hard to get comfortable with. Some of our basic instincts are being taken from us in our interactions with others. Not only are we being challenged by distance in our socializing we are being thrown off by not being able to see people's whole face. It feels eire. 

I thought doing some sketches of ourselves wearing masks might helps us get more comfortable with the necessary situation. I feel strongly about the positive role portrait have on people. It gives you time to reflect, time for you to see how you change from one time to the next when you do a portrait. So this is an important moment in time and it will help us to see how we feel about ourselves in a mask and to get time to "sit with it". 

If I Plant a Seed....

So we read one of my favorite books. Actually I was lucky enough to have someone read it to me!

If You Plant a Seed by Kadir Nelson

If you plant a seed of frustration, anger, grief.... that's what will grow!

We all need to plant seeds of hope, love, faith, kindness and let them bloom!

We did a drawing of what our seeds would look like and grow into.

Now create yours! Be Kind... Grow kindness while you are in the soli of the dark place called COVID-19.


Be Safe!
Have Fun!
Stay Well!

The Light at the End of the Tunnel

Somedays this feels like a dark tunnel we are in and it is hard to see where the end is...

I want to see the light at the end!

So we drew tunnels! And we made our light!

Give yourself the light....
Get creative. It doesn't actually have to be a light... it could be whatever your light would be.
A star of hope...
A school bus pick-up...
A smile....
A loved one...
Freedom.

Have fun!
Stay Safe!
Be well!

Go to your happy place....

When all you want to do is be somewhere else...

Go there in your art!

Find an image. Of a place that would feel really good to be right now! And focus on it. Then create it!
Really spend time working on your image. Make it feel good.  Play the perfect music while you create, think happy thoughts of being there.

Imagine being there!


And when you are done, you can stare at your picture and go there!

Navigating Life

Before all of this COVID-19 changes started, I started a series of drawings which I titled : Navigating. My plan was to draw and paint tools that are used in navigation. I started with tools used to navigate the seas merely because I live near the sea and the sextant has played a significant part in my life thus far. I have done a dozen images of the sextant at this point! It is as if I am drawing hands and feet again!

But I was not planning on doing just this tool. I started looking at the compass, the astrolabe, talking with my brother about tools used to navigate the skies as a pilot, etc. I wanted to dive into all tools we have used through time to navigate our experience of life.

This series started to take on a new meaning for me as I was applying it to all those around me. I realized we are all simply navigating all the time. Unsure when there will be a storm, unaware of new situations that lie ahead, unclear exactly how to deal with things we never dreamt we would have to deal with. So many friends and family describing life situations that they were struggling with and trying to figure out how to go forward, how to reach our goals, how to get around this obstacle, which way to go when there is fork in the road.

I will continue with my series. But thought you might like to see some.

So I would like you to think about what you would use to navigate life. What navigation tools from the past might call to you? Or what you feel helps you to "navigate" this present situation.

Real, imaginary, historical, present day....

I would love to hear or see you ideas. Create away!

Be well!
Stay Safe!
Have Fun!