New art series in this very new world…
It started in a dream
I wasn’t going to share this with anyone until I’d really discovered and uncovered where I was going with this new painting series. But I feel compelled to put it out into the world right now. Especially in this very challenging time we are experiencing as a community.
In December last year, I had a dream. (I don’t know if you know, but artists often have “art dreams” where we envision paintings or drawings or new creations just waiting to emerge.) In my dream I had a vision of a painting with grids or squares. The painting had a figure in it, but not fully drawn out or represented. Just a hint of a person made up of all these squares. It was almost like a pixelated digital image. Mostly it was black and white and gray. But there were places with color too. When I woke up this vision stayed with me and I knew what it meant and why I was supposed to create a series of paintings from this. I’ve been working on expressing this vision since January and I’ve been writing down my thoughts and feelings towards the process. I’m inviting you to share in my journey of discovery.
New Painting Series
I am working on a series of paintings that explore the loneliness and separation of our overly connected society. In an age where people are more connected than ever with technology, people are experiencing the highest rates of depression, anxiety, loneliness and a feeling of separation leading to mental health issues and even suicide.
I’m creating these paintings starting by drawing the figure. I then overlay a grid pattern on top of the drawing. The grid or square pattern represents the digital world and how it infiltrates every aspect of modern life. Through mobile phones, laptops, computers, iPads, and social media, people are able to “connect” with friends and people around the world. And yet these devices seem to create a barrier, a separation between people.
Look at any busy restaurant and you’ll see couples, families, or friends, all heads down, staring at phones, rather than looking into one another’s eyes. Where is the true eye to eye connection, the amazing feeling of being understood by another? The overwhelming joy of feeling truly connected?
Global Pandemic
Now that our world has been knocked off its axis by a global pandemic, it seems that in the pause that has been forced upon us by quarantine, people are starting to connect again. They are craving human connection more than ever. The fascinating part is, we are having to connect through technology since we can’t meet face to face right now.
I don’t know what happens next. I don’t know if we will all call more and see each other more and hug more after the serious threat is over. I hope so. I hope that through this experience we discover the importance of kindness and compassion and true connection.
The Journey
I will continue to explore my original vision and dream through these paintings. I am on a journey of self-discovery through my painting process. That’s what we do as artists. We look within and express what we see through our paintings, sculptures, music, writing, or whatever art form we use to connect. I invite you to come along for the ride. See where these artworks go and maybe we will even discover something unexpected along the way.