Skip to main content

100 Days of COVID-19, Day 46

My Art in the Time of a Pandemic


Two Postcards and a Mask

Today I made my first children's masks and I was reminded of a childhood activity that was very popular decades ago - Pen Pal Programs.  Having a pen pal was a great way to practice penmanship, to learn more about other cultures and lifestyles, and to develop friendships.

My life was enriched by writing these letters and receiving them, especially if the pen pal lived in a foreign country.   Therefore, today when I mailed the masks I also included two postcards for the children.  I encouraged the children to write messages on the postcards and mail them to a pen pal.  


*Coronavirus Disease 2019:
Update in Maryland- 5/15/2020
36,986 confirmed cases 
1,911 deaths    2,685 recovered

Update in New York State - 5/15/2020
345,813 confirmed cases 
27,878 deaths    60,302 recovered

Total in United States: 1,442,657 confirmed cases, 87,530 deaths
Total Worldwide:       4,534,952 confirmed cases, 307,159 deaths



* All numbers are taken from Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

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...