100 Days of COVID-19, Day 13

My Art in the Time of a Pandemic

Nothing like reading the newspaper on Sunday mornings.

I enjoy touching the 22"x 24"pages. I find myself holding them close to my face especially when I get lost in a story. Pinching the cool coarse edges to turn a page reminds me that there are more stories waiting. The sound of creasing, crinkling, crumpling paper sends a smile to my face. The familiar musty scent brings back memories of years of reading about politics, crime, business, entertainment and lifestyles. Each Sunday everything seems so new, unimaginable. Looking back, everything becomes like the thin newsprint itself, made from wood pulp and recycled matter -- not intended to last long.

This morning when I was reading the Sunday Times, I was going to print my linocut on the cover like I usually do. But when I read the wonderful article The Caribou Lessons by Caroline Van Hemert in the Travel Section, I began to dream of traveling across majestic plains and magnificent mountains. I thought of all the places I wanted to visit and never had the time.

Coronavirus Disease 2019: Update in Maryland- 4/12/2020

8,225 confirmed cases

236 deaths

Update in New York State - 4/12/2020

189,033 confirmed cases

9,385 deaths, including 6,898 in NYC

Comments

Surviving my Teen Years with Shakespeare

I became passionate about poetry in high school when I desperately needed guidance. When I needed something to make sense of the chaos others called life. There was no IG, no FB, no Internet, no cell phones, no "reach out and touch" when life quickly crumbled, leaving you alone with just the clothes on your back. Earlier this year I revisited all 154 Shakespeare Sonnets and began making textile books inspired by them. Here is Sonnet One -- Don't Get Twisted by the Bling of Youth.

Born of Love, Shakespeare's Sonnet 151

Over the summer I worked on new artwork, Born of Love , inspired by Shakespeare's Sonnet 151. The book offers a translation of the sonnet to the language of textiles and embroidery. Working on this book allowed me to explore the beauty of textiles from four continents. Its construction is inspired by the poetic structure within the sonnet. This book, along with two other of my art pieces, will be on exhibit at the Folger Shakespeare Library from 16 Sept 2024 - 9 Feb 2025.

Evidence: The Art of Candy Jernigan

Art is Life I was introduced to Candy Jernigan's art and book when I was going through cancer treatment more than a decade ago. Her meticulously arranged collages, paintings, and drawings have had a profound impact on the way I view art, life, and visual storytelling. Before reading her book, I had never seen how powerful art journaling could be -- that it could also be an artistic tool for social commentary. Candy Jernigan (b. 1952- 1991) attended Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, NY. Soon after graduating she became a painter, set and costume designer in Provincetown, MA. In Evidence , Stokes Howell wrote, " By the time she returned to New York in 1980 she was starting to develop the themes and methods she would work with the rest of her life." Candy described the transformative process of taking found objects, "trash," and discarded materials from life and turning them into art: "In 1980, as I set out on my first trip to Europe, I decided...

Baltimore Sonnets

Search This Blog