Delkamccray irene .elders jpg

Irene Delka McCray - "Elders"

This couple modeled for me just as the country was learning that covid 19 infections were in the US. Within a few days stay at home orders were given, and schools and businesses shut down. I had the references from photos of Patti and Ron to paint from, which kept me busy for many of the isolation months. There was a sense of fear in all of their poses that day, as they seemed to need to cling to one another. The three of us are all in a high risk category because of age, so the sense of dread and uncertainty was a large part of the session. I chose an image of them in a precarious position and put them against shocking colors, as finding calm was impossible.

As a studio painter I spend much of my time alone anyway, but I am more isolated than usual now. I teach on zoom and that carries its own frustrations. Mostly, though, I'm experiencing sadness from family tragedies during this time, while taking in so much of the suffering of all those affected by the virus, along with the horrific political climate. All of it together impacts my mental state severely. However, I see some hope in the revelations of inequalities that have come to light and hope to be able to bring some of that into my work. When I read and hear that the elderly are expendable in the virus and that nature is only taking its course by removing the weak among us, I felt the need to continue in greater earnestness on my images of elders.

Viral Influence: Art in the Time of Coronavirus
  1. Janelle Anderson - "Praise God Always," "Empty Pool," and "Closed for Season"
  2. Brenda Biondo - "Modality no. 30"
  3. Carol Bivins - "Incognito" and "Do Not Go Gently"
  4. John Boak - "Ookayama"
  5. Mark Bueno - "Everything Is Going To Be OK"
  6. Evan Colbert - "Interstellar Overdrive"
  7. Evan Colbert - "Covid Descending"
  8. Robin Cole - "Quarantine: Bread and Yeast"
  9. Robin Cole - "Quarantine: Hair Scissors"
  10. Robin Cole - "Quarantine: Coffee"
  11. Will Day - "BATTLE CRY"
  12. Irene Delka McCray - "Elders"
  13. Rebecca DiDomenico - "Biology of A Wall"
  14. Lisa DiMichele and Katie Caron - "Novel Landscape 2"
  15. Chapin Dimond - " Game Puzzle #11"
  16. Chapin Dimond - "Steady Rock- Best Man Cufflinks"
  17. Nanette Fazio - "Six Feet"
  18. Sharon Feder - "Next No. 19"
  19. Kendra Fleischman - "The Transmogrifier"
  20. Kelly Frimel - "Stay Home"
  21. Jane Gaona - "Covid-19"
  22. Kelsey McDonald Gibson - "Street Series Pt. 1"
  23. Joyce Gold - "Penguin Onions"
  24. Susan Goldstein - "Covid-19: Inside Out Series"
  25. Jaquetta Green - "Essentials"
  26. Tina Hagerling - "Pandemic Portraits"
  27. Nancy Johnson - "Fragmented"
  28. Brenda Jones - "Corona tool kit"
  29. Jeffrey Keith - "Gray Painting @ 10:51pm"
  30. Jim Leggitt - "COVID Stories"
  31. Veronica Love - "The Woman That Makes Her Mad" and "The Last Tea"
  32. Kenneth Macy - "Social Distance Mask"
  33. Maureen May - "Unobtainable Intimacy" and "Treasure Hunter's Dream"
  34. Janice McDonald - "Collage Diary"
  35. Scout Patterson - "Breathing"
  36. Mark Penner-Howell - "COVID19 Portraits"
  37. Julie Puma - "#Thankshealthheros" and "Art Imitates Life"
  38. Roger Reutimann - "Nature Always Wins"
  39. Maureen Ruddy Burkhart - "Isolation Flora Spring"
  40. Conn Ryder - "Sleep Deprived"
  41. Eleanor Sabin - "Blushing ZZ"
  42. Eleanor Sabin - "Cry for Help in Blue"
  43. Tom Sarmo - "Tall House"
  44. Kevin Sloan - "Isolated Bouquet"
  45. Xiaoxiao Strong - "The Line We Walk"
  46. Sandy Toland and Nikki Evans - "Exquisite Corpse #3," "Exquisite Corpse #8," "Exquisite Corpse #7"
  47. Robin Whatley - "Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood," "Shelter in Place," and "Time for Self Reflection"
  48. Meghan Wilbar - "Bridge"
  49. Talia Swartz Parsell - "Time For Change"