Has the Pandemic Made Me a Better Artist?

It has been quite a time—a time of fear, hope, sadness, love, and change. They say change is a good thing.

Well, I don’t know who “they” are and why “they” say it, but here’s what I’ve gleaned:

You have to learn the rules so you know how to break them.

I learned art history, how to paint a perfect bowl of fruit, and stared at the Mona Lisa for hours – THE FIRST TIME! I can’t say this was a decision, but I gravitated towards abstract art. Later, I worked with a professor of fine arts and learned how to draw figures, which has become a deep passion.

So where does the change come in? When you get that call from a collaborator who asks you to do chess pieces, chandeliers, and flowers, you take a beat. He said: “Do them your way.” So, I said YES, of course.

The world is in disarray and simple chess pieces are throwing me for a loop. I must have stared at a piece of charcoal and a blank piece of paper for 3 hours. I took a deep breath and bumped out 25 variations of chess pieces, chandeliers, and flowers, MY WAY, per his request.

Someone very dear to me said that I even make flowers look sexy. I don’t know about that, but I learned that being a true artist means being true to yourself, and most of the time we can, but the landlord of this studio isn’t going to take two goats and a cow for payment this month.

A little secret? I am obsessed with these chess pieces. I find myself doodling them on napkins, on magazines, even in my thoughts. And best of all, I rose to the occasion.

I lost myself through the years. I had the same amazing clientele who loved my work, and still does, but I stopped creating. I was repeating. What a difference now. My abstracts have been bigger and brighter, even more defined.