This painting was a true test of letting go and being in the moment. I painted over this piece many times erasing the negative emotions in order to uncover my raw feelings of the day. I titled this composition, "Battle Cry" because in this period of the Corona Virus, we are all battling some type of fight and therefore changing our daily routines. I wanted this piece to reflect the struggles of our time but also a thread in the idea of HOPE which comes through in white pockets glaring through the canvas. I first painted this large cotton canvas on the floor which allowed me to walk on it, mix colors and erase marks with my feet and hands. I am at ease when I don't put restrictions on how I paint. As the composition develops, I nailed it to the wall and started to use large foam brushes so that I could move freely from top to bottom. For the first time in my studio, I closed my eyes and let the brush dictate the moves. I wanted to let my Battle cry sing to the world and not force the mark making. This "Battle Cry" is a Call to Action for all of humanity to look inside our souls and find ways to connect to one another no matter what the political, religious or economical outcomes might be around us. The scale of this painting is really important as well because I wanted it to feel larger than life.
The coronavirus has certainly impacted my art practice in a dramatic way. I have had to change my routine and learn to create again. This pandemic has put a dark cloud on my inspiration and creativity at times. But I know these struggles will make us all more human., kind and stronger in the end.
Overall, I have felt the weight of the world on me and could not get out of bed to paint. I have bee frozen inside which caused some major problems in my studio and my family life
I did not have the same passion and drive to be an artist during this crisis. But as I reflect back to when I started my art career in 2008, I realized that I have already lived through one of the other greatest economic downturns in our life. We got through this crisis as well with plenty of pain, suffering, and resilience. That experience from 2008 is helping me day to day as a reminder that there is HOPE for the future.
COVID -19 has allowed me to reflect on why I am painting and what mark do I want to make in this world. I strive to remain true to my voice in the studio, by staying real, forward-thinking, and humbling myself. But this crisis has allowed me to explore what it feels like to fail again, experiment, learn, listen, be resilient and love my family again..