The Pandemic Lens^®

For many weeks, it was a glorious fall in Greater Boston. Knowing this time was fleeting, I tried to capture it in this painting. The leaves were changing color and falling, the number of Covid cases was falling, and the Trump administration was falling. Hope was in the air.       We continued our…

My paintings are my diary. And my diary is part therapy, part meditation, part practice in gratitude. Far less Pollyanna and far more survivalist, this brand of gratitude is simply the art of drawing attention to something lovely—an especially useful practice when immersed in an experience that is anything but. The pandemic experience lends itself…

(This post refers to works by my late husband, Bill Oakes, a visionary, educator, and prolific painter.) This is an illustration Bill did for a newspaper.  I named it “Allegiance.”  Although Bill drew the piece years ago, it seems perfect for today’s inaugural even I hope all of the countries of the world can experience…

“To submerge oneself in hazy, unsettled waters requires humbleness and a strong heart. Currents may drift you away from what you’re looking for, silencing the inner voice that will guide you through the darkness. But diving against strong currents shouldn’t scare you but give you the certainty that when you reach the shore, you’ll be…

During the earliest weeks of the pandemic, around the time Governor Baker announced a state of emergency in Massachusetts, I was not thinking too much about my artwork. I had just finished a couple of commissions, and it was an especially busy time at work, where healthcare clients had so many new questions they needed…

Dear 2021, The anticipation of your arrival has been like holding our collective breath under water. We heralded your coming, not with the usual frenzy of festivities, but with a quiet wonder and hope accompanied by soft whispers in the winter wind. “Things will be better now….” For we come from a time of disappointment…

A small theater selected a work of mine for the drama Tor und Tod by Hugo v. Hofmannsthal. A large-format stage design was created as a background. During theater rehearsals at TheaterLabor TraumGesicht Düsseldorf, inspired by the scenes, more works developed. Then came the performance ban due to the coronavirus pandemic. The stage room stayed…

In late Februrary, health care workers and lay people alike heard the first inklings of the presence of the COVID-19 virus on the shores of the continental US. Physician groups across social media were sounding the alarm and posting photos of their tired, exhausted faces in states like Washington and Oregon. Affected physicians were providing…

I ran a small art gallery and studio for eleven years but was forced to close when the pandemic hit. Then, as the days shortened and I dreaded the coming of winter and being stuck indoors, I started sketching outside more. It was revelatory! I felt such a renewed and powerful connection to nature that…