“The Great Pause”

The first week of March was the last normal workweek for most parts of the country and little did I know that on March 27, 2020, life would take a Great Pause.  The Covid-19 Coronavirus Pandemic made sure of that.

Our Governor issued a “Stay at Home” order to begin and then implemented the social distancing guidelines. For many artists, “stay at home” and the 6- foot social distancing guidelines aren’t far from our norm.  We are a solitary people anyway, paint by ourselves, so we’re not really meeting a lot of people in our studios. PleinAir painting with my artist friends is no longer taking place so most of my time is spent working in my studio.  This “pause” has given me the needed creative space to branch outside of my comfort zone and try ways to take my artwork to new levels.  I’m using this time to create and engineer free standing Copper Sculptures and to find ways to add more movement into my Woven Copper Designs.

My day begins with finding inspiration from walks in our vegetable and flower gardens, to see new beauty blooming, fresh colors appearing and experience sweet springtime scents. This inspiration takes me into my studio with a certain calm which I am incorporating into my new works. .

As with most others, during this unsettling time, we make a grocery list, grab our masks and gloves and go to the store one day a week early in the morning.  Is this going to be the new typical day people ask?  It’s hard to image how a day will be after the pandemic is over.

Sheltering in place has become a time to rethink and reimagine, to be receptive to the concerns of others, to develop and seek comfort within. I am grateful for this pause to create, but I am very much looking forward to reconnecting with my family, friends and my creative community in person again.