Eight months in and , whew, am I done with this COVID-19 mess! I'm sick of it: sick of wearing a mask; sick of others not wearing a mask; sick of the kids not in, or doing, school and the district threatening to re-open; not hugging friends or family, not even seeing some loved ones. Then there is the everpresent worry and stress that goes along with just living through this time period, particularly if you don't have work. There are too many downsides to list.
Thankfully, there is an upside: STUDIO TIME! I am loving the long hours in my studio! Finally I can justify spending 24/7 in there: Quarentine! "No, honey, I can't come out to help you with that. I'm quarentining myself...to keep YOU safe. Yes, just leave my dinner by the door...." and as they walk away you toss out one more, "Thank you!" and you close the door.
The studio: the great escape? Sure! But it can be work, too. It's also facing oneself, like any 3rd rate therapy session: blindly digging around until you find something that makes sense of ones inner chaos. (Is that too revealing?) My theory is that all -no, most -art is autobiographical and self-referencial. So when the new piece is not coming together, some look inward for what else isn't working? I, on the other hand, look for the new opportunity. The piece isn't working? I have a real chance to think and look outside the box for a solution I never would have seen had it gone to plan. Out of red paint? Try green insteaad.
Happy art-making everyone!
