Our fifty-first post of the series, Artists in the Time of Coronavirus includes L.L. Gross, Beryl Brenner, Annie Mason, Thomas Sonnenberg, and Joanna Walitalo! Thank you for sharing with us and the Philly art community!
We have gotten over 300 submissions, and we are so grateful to all participants. The time has come to close our inbox to submissions. So if you want to participate, send your statement (250 words max) and 2 photos to support@theartblog.org before July 29, 2020, at 11:59 PM. More details here. Stay safe and stay positive, and come back in the days to come for more “Artists in the Time of Coronavirus.” We have a wonderful community and are so proud of being able to share everyone’s art.
L.L. Gross
The horror started with the election and I couldn’t stop watching.
I became addicted to the news, surfing multiple sites and falling asleep with MSNBC podcasts playing in my ear.I self medicated with life drawing classes at Fleisher which influenced this body of work. Recycling materials and techniques but adding figurative imagery, this work is a visceral reaction to the political horror show that has resulted in the coronavirus ransacking all our lives.
Beryl Brenner
Hot Planet
I admit it. I’m guilty. We are all guilty. We buy bottled liquids at the grocery store and they are packed in plastic bags. We use plastic knifes and forks. We use gas cars instead of electric ones. We consume tons of things that we don’t even need. The list goes on and on and nobody is pure.
Like many people, I have begun to worry about this. But what can I do? I am far from perfect but I do recycle more than I ever did.
I have been working on an art project about climate change and I have been using a number of recycled materials for this series. This approach is in the spirit of the concept. It is as much therapeutic as it is creative because I worry. We all should. Climate change humbles us all. Its implications are so vast. It reminds us that no matter what we do it is bigger than us all so we all better understand the we need to be on the same page worldwide.
We were warned. We knew. It did not have to get this far. We didn’t care enough because the Earth had always been good to us and nurtured us. We should have nurtured it more.
Beryl Brenner/ Beryl2b@yahoo.com
Annie Mason
I begin this new month having endured, with the rest of the world, the daily existence in the time of coronavirus. How has it only been five weeks? My generation, as a unit, have survived crises: World War II, mass shootings, 9-11, the DC snipers (a local event that created such fear in our own home), but this seems all-encompassing and affects so much of our life. Yet, life goes on, or tries to. Artists have created lasting images of events: think Civil War, the Depression, Women’s Right to Vote, 1960s protests, and more.
Does my own art have this impact? No. Of course not. I’m not famous. My followers , however, have increased since 2015 when I started painting in watercolor, scanning the images, and posting on social media sites. Selling? Yes. That’s not why I do it, the extra income, however, is nice. I will continue to pick up a paintbrush, or pen, and put my own hand to paper. It’s what I do. I still post almost daily from at least one of my Print on Demand (POD) shops. Is this a “mayday” crisis? Perhaps. There is a tension in the air that is palpable. No one wants to get sick. I remember that for flowers to bloom, they need plenty of water, sunshine, and nourishing soil. With patience, blossoms are sure to come.
I hope you browse this website. I am lucky not to have to sell my art as my only source of income. Please browse these shops: Society6 Redbubble and zazzle.
Feel free to check my products or search another topic and find another artist and brighten their “mayday” with a purchase.
[Note: Check out Annie’s blog]
Thomas Sonnenberg
For the first month of the pandemic, I was frozen and unable to work. One day, I was able to work again. I made works that explore states of being. I’m working in multiple mediums. Here are two.
I just started an Instagram account: tomsonnenbergart
Because I’m older, I’m still self-isolating. Hope you find theses images interesting.
Joanna Walitalo
I am an artist in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. I earned a BS in Biology and Environmental Policies from Central Michigan University, and a Master of Forestry From Michigan Technological University. With a scientific background and a lifelong love for artwork, the two intersected when I picked up pyrography (wood burning) 4 years ago. When the Corona Virus hit, I lost my job at the University, and began doing artwork full time to support my family. My husband has been an instrumental part of the process, giving his full emotional support to my work, and preparing all the wood-cutting, planing, sanding it, and finishing each piece after Ido the artwork, by applying 3 coats of polyurethane and a hanger on the back. We use all scrap wood to build environmental conscientiousness into the art. We ship worldwide and accept commissions. Feel free to follow us at https://www.facebook.com/J.Walitalo.art
