Author: Laura

Right Now! Processing the Moment, Summer 2026

Right Now! Processing the Moment

We believe there is power in witnessing how our community of artists respond to the moment. Many of us feel despair over the erosion of our rights and the integrity of our democratic process, as each day brings another onslaught. Our new feature in the Maine Arts Journal: “Right Now!: Processing the Moment” presents some of the creative responses to these difficult times including what is happening in Maine artists’ studios, on social media, or in the streets. It is increasingly difficult to focus on other issues when the threats to our daily lives feel both immediate and globally exponential.

“Right Now!” is intended as a primarily visual feature, interspersed with brief reflections from contributors. Our Fall 2026 will have a different approach to the feature. Stay tuned for updates.

In our 250th year, I find myself forced to imagine I might only be able to dream of the America I’ve loved all my life, the flag and our ideals that “so proudly we hailed at the twilight’s last gleaming.” Those ideals that have suddenly become so tattered, abused, and dragged through the mud.

—Alan Crichton

Although this photo was taken back in 2020, it sure looks like a portrait of the USA today, at least to me. It was during those last days of forty-five’s presidency and the height of Covid when I noticed a flag that a neighbor was flying was torn and half hanging on a nearby tree branch. It became My Country Tis of Thee. And now “déjà vu all over again,” to quote that poet of the ballpark, Yogi Berra. But this time it’s even worse with the insane, misogynistic, eugenic, illegal, and racist actions of the 2026 administration being greeted as normal by legacy media. It makes my blood boil as a former member of the fourth estate. So, I continue to call and email to prod our elected officials to take action.

—Ann Tracy

The I.C.E Man is essentially a frigid human that kills dreams.  A snowman represents that force which has now been unleashed . . . essentially killing the dreams of people who come to the US with a hope of a better life. My snowman is gory, cut in half to expose colorful innards which are an interactive marble chase for viewers to engage with. For me the ultimate question regards whether we as a people are going to uphold a certain level of humanity for our fellow humans. The snowman is a stand in, a jolly nonhuman . . . suggesting the act of dehumanizing in order to deny humanity.

—Kenny Cole

This image exploded out of me one morning in May. Relief flooded me when I finished a quick sketch. Getting the image out of my mind and body onto the paper allowed me to see the dark humor of it. Trump wipes his ass with the hard earned money of his MAGA base. His puppeteers float on clouds of cash, while the environment and institutions burn and ordinary humans suffer.

—Nora Tryon

I am a Maine-based metalsmith. I create jewelry inspired by the tiny creatures I find in my pollinator garden. I was inspired to create entomology-inspired works because of the rapidly declining insect biomass I am seeing firsthand in my garden over the past five years. I like to show my viewers that insects, although often overlooked, are the most important building blocks of earth life.

—Danielle Goulette

In this time of chaos and impermanence, I visited Kinderdyjk in Holland and saw the windmills. And I was reassured.

—Laura Waller

My POTUS8647 project evolved: the unframed paintings were shown in Zero Station’s two-part exhibition, American Grotesque. They hosted a Happening where the audience tossed tomatoes at selected paintings. After that I burned the works. The carcasses were stabilized on wood panels and framed in polyurethane foam. A QR code attached to each frame links to a video of the project courtesy of Christopher Andrew.

—Michael Torlen

By LISA KRISTOFF

^{ARTinME 2025 First Place awarded to Helen Matthews’ “View” by jurors David Estey and Jaap Helder.
Courtesy of Lauren Palmer/BRAF}

I walked into Boothbay Region Art Foundation (BRAF) last Saturday night for its annual ARTinME opening reception and awards. And, wow. Just wow. I’ll say it now (and probably later as well): This is one of those shows in which each work is an example of each artist’s creative magic.

Just over 100 pieces were submitted for this, the third annual large format ARTinME show and of those only 55 were selected by jurors David Estey, improvisational/abstract artist and contemporary abstract artist Jaap Helder, who chose 55 of those entries for this outstanding exhibition. Of these, here are the artists who placed: First Place: Helen Fellows Matthews’ “View,” Second Place: John Otterbein’s “John’s Insect Collection,” Third Place: Laura Waller: “OIG Giant 2 No. 5.”

Said David: “I could not get this show out of my head. I just kept thinking about all this great stuff. I think you would agree this is a lot of terrific work, and there’s more terrific work not in the show. We landed on the prizewinners pretty quickly. We didn’t have any disagreement at all.”

So, what was their criteria for entries? Jaap and David looked at the elements and principles of design; they looked for creativity and energy. Energy was key. “I think sometimes you see something that’s just got a kind of a wow factor to it,” David said. “You might say it doesn’t meet very many criteria, but it’s just, you just can’t deny it. It’s like, wow!”

_{ARTinME Second Place: John Otterbein, “John’s Insect Collection.”
Courtesy of Lauren Palmer, BRAF}

David went on to cite “John’s Insect Collection” – chosen for Second Place – as an example of that “wow” factor. “It’s so different, so strange, it’s so much fun – humorous and very carefully done.”

First Place juror comments: “View”: It’s kind of a window with shutters and curtains, and it’s got these abstract paintings and any one of them could be a terrific (stand alone) abstract painting. All these little paintings have something to do with landscape. Maybe. And then there’s this lace that you figure well, this doesn’t fit, but all this stuff fits. We immediately said, that’s, that’s the one. And so that’s rare, I think.”

_{ARTinME Third Place: Laura Waller’s “OIG Giant II No. 5.”
Courtesy of Lauren Palmer, BRAF}

Third Place jurors’ comments: “OIG Giant 2 No. 5.”: “We just thought it’s a spectacular painting. We love it for the paint, the way it’s put on, the abstract quality … And there’s a narrative to it. Everything just goes well together,” Estey said.

The sculpture work in this show is exceptional as well. I was particularly fond of Catherine Gibson’s “Echoes” made of clay, it gives off the appearance of metal, this is a very feminine piece in its shape and large opening, like a prehistoric clam shell. Vertical etched lines mark time along the lower rim; the upper rim you would swear was copper, perhaps representing its importance throughout the centuries of humankind to today. The inside of this piece is equally fascinating: shades of blue marbled with gray elongated shapes seem to be swirling (if you look at it long enough!) above and around brown areas at its bottom. Blue and gray winds of time: echoes of the past as the present takes shape.

Elizabeth Ambrosino’s porcelain jar, “Impermanence,” I photographed this one from all kinds of angles! A creamy white jar, dark brown paint, either handpainted on or free-poured, thick vertical veins throughout areas of its surface, topped with an aged vertical piece of wood placed horizontally. A truly beautiful, engaging work that would make a lovely urn for a loved one passed.

Dick Alden’s “Beautiful Woman” is another gorgeous sculpture of the feminine form from this sculptor of 35 years. Choosing to create her form in alabaster, “Beautiful Woman” is delicacy and light, translucent, yet her air of mystery remains intact. Set on a black-gray soapstone base, soapstone having been used throughout the centuries for everything from jewelry to cookware, from statuary to the inside and outside of structures. This combination of materials reflects the mystery, beauty, versatility and strength of women.

Reflecting on this show, this large format of BRAF’s annual ARTinME, could quite possibly have been a stroke of genius. Here are two of my favorites. The photo mosaic “North East South West” by Stephen Michael Starensier. Composed of over 1,000 images reflecting humanity, spirituality, sexuality, nature, religion. Stephen created four inner circles within a large square border of images. This piece is fascinating, gorgeous, colorful – a trip through the ages. Fabulous! Another interesting side to the artist is he’s a musician who plays the music of the Middle Age/ Renaissance eras.

The show’s Second Place winner, “John’s Insect Collection,” was, I feel quite sure, a favorite of everyone at the event, and for all of you out there who go to BRAF and see this show. A favorite of mine, John Otterbein, humorously named: the Red Wort Doohickey Fly and Bearded Banana Fly (rare) among them.

I didn’t count them, but 50-60 insects, both real and imagined, in watercolor had everyone buzzing. What I find adds to the humor is the fact that John was the founder of the Maine Screen Door Co. until 2022 when he sold the business. Screen doors serve what purpose? 

_{ARTinME Honorable Mention: Debra Claffey’s “Indigo Ice with Pink.”}

_{ARTinME Honorable Mention: Liv Kristin Robinson’s “Moon Over Route 3.”}

_{ARTinME Honorable Mention: Liv Kristin Robinson’s “Moon Over Route 3.”}

Hotfoot it on down to the BRAF Gallery in downtown Boothbay Harbor at 1 Townsend Ave. This show runs through Nov. 8, so, yeah, there’s time, but why wait? Gallery hours are Thursday – Sunday, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. The gallery will open on Monday the 13th, regular hours following the Indigenous People’s holiday weekend.

We are pleased to unveil the inaugural Farnsworth Concert Series, launching in November! This premiere music series features a diverse lineup of seven concerts from November 2024 through May 2025 that will captivate audiences with an eclectic array of musical genres.

Each concert will showcase a unique blend of genres and styles that complement the museum’s visual artistry. 

To kick off the season on November 13th, we welcome Kyle Victor, a talented cellist with Caribbean-American roots. Don’t miss your chance to reserve your tickets for the concerts that grab your eye—or consider a season pass to attend all seven concerts!

The Courier-Gazette
knox.villagesoup.com
August 22, 2023

CAMDEN/ROCKLAND — AIO Food & Energy Assistance announces the opening of the 2nd Annual ArtFeeds exhibition and online silent auction, taking place Sept. 10 through 16 at Page Gallery, 23 Bayview St., Camden. The event will showcase a collection of wooden bowls shaped and donated by Maine State Correctional Facility’s industries program, and decorated by well-known Maine artists. Each artist interprets sharing food and fighting food insecurity in their creative style on each bowl.

The online silent auction also opens Sept. 10 and runs the length of the exhibition, culminating with a reception Saturday, Sept. 16, from 4 to 6 p.m. at Page Gallery. The exhibition is free and open to the public.

“ArtFeeds represents an entire summer of artists, volunteers, partnering organizations and supporters working together to demonstrate how a community can address hunger,” said AIO Executive Director Joe Ryan. “For the winning bidders, an ArtFeeds bowl will be a family treasure for generations to come, and the benefit to hundreds of local families will be immediate.”

“At Page Gallery, we are happy to be partnering with AIO and the Maine State Prison to raise awareness about food and energy insecurity,” said gallery owner Colin Page. “Artists jump at the chance to work on new pieces for this auction as we all know how important AIO is to our community. When the bowls are on display at Page Gallery, you can see how much creativity and beauty is brought to the table by the selected artists.” Page went on to say, “As a gallery owner I love using our space to give back, and as an artist I find it a rewarding and interesting challenge to paint across the form of a bowl, and to consider how my artwork can be used to benefit others.”

Participating artists include Alan Magee, Annie Bailey, Barbara Sullivan, Beth Bull, Caroline Dishop, Christopher Mur, Colin Page, Carol Sloane, Hannah Berta, Helene Ferra, Eric Hopkins, Ileana Appleton Foster, Ingrid Ellison, Laura Waller, Leecia Price, Lise Bécu, Margaret Rizzio, Meghan Brady, Monica Kelly, Nancy Glassman, Nathaniel Meyer, Peter Walls, Sal Taylor Kidd, Sarah Lee, Simon van der Ven, Susan Williams, Tara Morin, Alanna Hernandez, Alexis Iammarino, Anneli Skaar, Greta Van Campen, Amy Lowry, Ariela Kuh, Lily Sukeforth, Margaret Williams, Richard Chalmers, and a resident of the Maine State Correctional Facility. AIO will share the artists’ creative process and artist statements on @aiofoodpantry (Instagram) and @AIOFoodpantry70 (Facebook).

Links to all artist works, bidding instructions, private party tickets, and additional information about AIO Food & Energy Assistance, 1A Gordon Drive, Rockland, can be found at AIO4me.org.

^{Spring 2022, UMVA Members Showcase}

Two Sisters Going Down the Falls of Conspiracies (2022) is a 6-by-9 feet acrylic painting on unstretched drop-cloth canvas. 

During the Romantic period of the mid-1800s, the intent of Hudson Valley painters was to proclaim the grandeur of the American landscape. My composition has elements of Niagara Falls paintings by Frederic Church (1844) and Louis Remy Mignot (1866).

Now, in the early 21st century, the contemporary American landscape has gone well beyond the pastoral. It has become hyper-polarized and politicized. This includes embracing conspiracy theories, distrust of medical professionals and public authorities, and outright lies about the political opposition—all in the name of keeping power and the political narrative.

Per the Wikipedia list of people who have gone over Niagara Falls, there have been hundreds of accidental and intentional attempts since 1850. Of note, there are 16 recorded survivors, including a man who first went solo, and then later survived together with his girlfriend.

One attempt that has not yet historically occurred is by two sisters. This work imagines my two younger sisters at the precipice of the falls. For two years, they willingly and blindly believe a flood of conspiracies, many of them written in the waterfall. They post them on Facebook, email, and phone text, in spite of my continual debunking. They, like many, accept delusion in place of reality. 

Sinking Raft 

The Raft of the Medusa is a history painting made in 1818–19 by the French painter Théodore Géricault. Completed when the artist was 27, it is a large tableau on display at the Louvre, which depicts a raft made from the wreck of the wooden French naval vessel La Méduse. In June 1816, the Méduse departed from a French port bound for the coast of Senegal carrying 400 people, approximately 160 crew, and 240 passengers.

During its trajectory, the Méduse drifted 100 miles off course due to poor navigation. It collided with a rock formation and started to leak. Passengers, the captain, and the crew filled the six emergency boats. The remaining 146 men and one woman were set adrift onto a hastily built raft. For sustenance the crew had one bag of biscuits consumed the first day, two barrels of water soon lost overboard, and six casks of wine. The raft drifted aimlessly. The drifters endured starvation and dehydration and even practiced cannibalism. With no search effort in sight, the raft was adrift for 13 days and was rescued completely by chance by a British ship. In the end, 15 survivors were rescued. 

The event became a scandal because of the incompetence of the French captain who had received his commission as a result of political appointment and who had not sailed in 20 years. This shipwreck was a public embarrassment for the new French monarchy, which had only returned to power one year after Napoleon’s defeat in 1815. The wreck became a larger metaphor for the ineptitude of the king.

---

Laura Waller

As an artist, I am inspired by what I see, really see. To negate the gaslighting after the January 6th Insurrection, I took photos from the videos that scrolled across the TV screen and painted them realistically as seen. No room for gaslighting.

History has a way of repeating itself, and so, as I thought back on what happened on January 6th, my series America’s Guernica? emerged.

Guernica, the title of Picasso’s iconic 1937 anti-war painting, is also the name of the town in northern Spain and, like America’s Capitol, the seat of the Basque Parliament which was bombed by the Nazis in 1937 during the Spanish Revolution. 6 January 2021, the day rioters stormed our nation’s seat of government, will forever be remembered as a day of infamy, the attack on our precious and fragile democracy. Could this attack on America be a warning of things to come, just as the events in Guernica foretold future atrocities and dictatorships? 

America’s Guernica? paintings are a fervent plea for peace and hope, a response to the visceral hate and racism. I feel the influence of artists Jacob Lawrence and Romare Bearden guiding me.

Painted in vermillion and embedded in each painting is the word “Shalom” written in Hebrew letters. “Peace,” an English word, is “Shalom” in Hebrew and “Salaam” in Arabic. I chose the color vermillion, the color of blood which gives life and bleeds life away, as a tribute to artist Dahlov Ipcar who said, “May I die before I run out of vermillion.” 

Laura Waller, America’s Guernica? No. 2, oil on linen, 24 x 24 in., 2021.

Laura Waller, America’s Guernica? No. 5, oil on linen, 24 x 24 in., 2021.

Whether we face Utopia or Dystopia in the future in some ways depends on whether we believe what we see.

Published by Waller & Wax Advisors, Inc. 

1) When did you start painting and was there a defining moment when you decided to pursue your passion?

I have always loved art and art history. Art History classes at Tulane led to lifetime visits to art museums. While a financial planner, I would attend watercolor five-day workshops as a reprieve from the stresses of the stock market. Then, having been diagnosed with breast cancer in 2005, I began thinking about life after financial planning and transitioning the practice to Jon. You see, one of the gifts of cancer is that it gives permission to redesign your life. When I left the practice in 2012, I began intensive studies one on one with an oil painter whose work I admired. And as a Type A, I knew I’d need a schedule, workspace, and gallerists to work with. Maine has provided that.

2) How does your life experience affect your work? Are there any similarities to your time as a financial planner?

All art is autobiographical. I have always been an observer of ways of life and of people as reflected in the careers I’ve chosen—clinical social worker, financial planner, and artist. I also adore what I call “ Drop-Ins” — books, movies, and art that drop you into a new world you knew nothing about. That’s what fascinates me about Port Tampa Bay and the massive working ships that go in and out of our waterways. I realized what a vital part the port plays in our economy, our demographics and our jobs. Yet living here, I hardly noticed the port.

3) Your collections—Working Waterfront, Urban Landscapes and Urban interiors—highlight commercial shops, busy city streets, and subways. What do you see in these types of settings that drive your curiosity/inspiration? What do you hope viewers see from observing your paintings?

There is a Japanese concept called “Wabi Sabi” that I interpret to mean there is beauty in the ordinary. There is beauty all around us. If we can learn to see, really see, then the world opens up to us. The Ashcan Artists painted ordinary life and attracted a huge audience because I believe it felt familiar. If I can paint a gritty wall in the port covered with decades of rust and grime and make it almost appear as an abstract painting, then I am pleased.

4) How has your style changed over time?

Sometimes my work seems more abstract; sometimes more representational. I paint larger when doing the ships probably because they are massive and it is easier to portray that on a large canvas. Perhaps I’m using color more and I’m not afraid of exaggerating color for effect.

5) Describe your dream project. 

A breakthrough for me in my art was when an instructor emphasized the need to paint what you see, not what you think you see. In some ways that could be said of gaslighting. What you see is your actual vision. Gaslighting in today’s world tries to tell you something other than what you saw. I painted a series called “America’s Guernica?”. I painted from television photos taken during the events of January 6th. Accurate paintings of the actual events. No gaslighting. What your eyes see.

6) What are you currently working on?

Working Waterfront paintings to be in a solo exhibition at Moss Galleries in Portland, Maine in late spring 2022.

7) Do you have any advice for someone that wants to start painting but doesn’t know where to start?

First of all, never say I can’t, I have no talent. Nonsense. Painting can and is taught. There are great workshops at the Tampa Museum of Art, Morean Center, Dunedin Fine Arts Center, Tampa Regional Artist Center etc. Here in Maine where I spend part of the year, Coastal Maine Art Workshops have great instructors.

Grab a sketchbook, a brush, a pen and a box of watercolors and sketch wherever you go. You’ll really see life around you.

8) Is there anything you would like to say to your former Waller & Wax clients?

Yes! I miss you and your families. As you get closer to your own retirement, develop other interests — whether it is art, philanthropy, tutoring, photography, whatever. It could give you a new life after retirement.

There are some old truisms that bear repeating:

Always live below your means.

Pay yourself first by saving a portion of any money that comes your way.

Retirement saving plans are sacred and for retirement.

And most important, keep you and your family safe during this pandemic.

All my best,
– Laura

July 12, 2021 | National Association of Women Artists, Inc. 

Welcome to our feature “Face to Face,” via the NAWA (Official) Members Group, which features a new interview with a NAWA artist every Monday. Check it out for fascinating insight on their practice, their artistic vision, their personal history, and much more!

This week we are pleased to introduce Laura Waller Art as our featured artist.

NAWA: Laura, please tell us where you live.

Laura: We live half the year in Tampa, Florida and half the year in Rockland, Maine. I maintain a studio in both cities. My studio dog Teddi, a miniature Australian labradoodle, rules as I paint with classical music in my earbuds. My seagull Zelda waits on my roof in Maine for her breakfast to be served on the porch.

NAWA: What type of art do you create?

Laura: My work is representational in nature. Some have described it as documentary art, I am currently working on two series — “The Working Waterfront” and “America’s Guernica?” about January 6, 2021. I paint with water-mixable oils made by Winsor and Newton Artisan, Holbein Duo and Talens Cobra.

NAWA: Tell us a little about your process.

Laura: I work from photographs I have taken on site. For the Port series that can mean accompanying a harbor pilot (female) while she takes a 500-foot ship from the docks out to sea or sitting behind the tugboat captain in the wheelhouse while he pushes a container ship to its berth in the port. I then paint from the photographs in my studio.

NAWA: That is so awesome! Are you a full-time artist? If not, what is your other career?

Laura: After earlier careers as a clinical social worker and then as the owner of a financial planning firm, I became a full-time oil painter in 2012. Prior to that, I painted watercolors during workshops I attended as necessary respites from the stresses of the stock market.

NAWA: Does your art have an overarching theme or a message?

Laura: I want people to see, really see the world around them. I have focused on the working port as most of us were unaware of the importance of this industry to our lifestyles until the Pandemic made apparent the vital role of shipping to the world’s supply chain. Shipping goods reached emergency status with delayed orders, shelves emptied of essential household goods, and a decreased work force all combined to nearly bring international commerce to its knees.

NAWA: Your images are truly captivating and draw the viewer in to take in your subject. How do you decide what to make the focal point?

Laura: I believe a painting should be made up of many abstract paintings. If you make a viewfinder with your hands and move around one of my works, multiple abstractions appear. This is why I usually don’t follow the rule of having a center of interest. I want there to be interest in all of the painting so you will choose to stay awhile and never tire of returning.

NAWA: I really like that! Is there someone who has made a significant impact on your art? A mentor, fellow artist, etc…

Laura: Charles Reid taught me to paint what I see, not what I think I see.
Tina Ingraham taught me the joy of oil painting. The Ashcan Artists encourage me to paint the everyday world. Hilma af Klint and Carmen Herrera help me understand that good can come to those who wait.

NAWA: That last one is something we can all learn from. Do you have any upcoming shows?

Laura: I have two upcoming shows in Maine — a solo exhibition of the Working Port Series at Elizabeth Moss Galleries and a group show called Circle of Friends at Salt Pond Studios.

NAWA: Kudos on your group show, and special congratulations on your solo show! Thank you so much for taking the time to share some of your inspiration and thoughts behind your art. Do you have a favorite quote you’d like to share with us?

Laura: Here are some of my favorite quotes:

“You are an artist when you say you are. And you are a good artist when you make somebody else experience or feel something deep or unexpected.”
– Amanda Palmer

“What any true painting touches is an absence — an absence of which without the painting we might be unaware. And that would be our loss.”
– John Berger

“The creative adult is the child who has survived.”
– Ursula LeGuin

“Every strike brings me closer to the next home run.”
– Babe Ruth

Laura Waller’s art is in the collections of the Tampa Bay History Museum, the Strand Theater, American Victory Museum, Raymond James Financial, Eli Lily Company, and Rockland Public Library.

You can also see more of Laura’s art at the following links:

LauraWallerArt.com
instagram.com/laurawallerart
facebook.com/Laura-Waller-Art-274100203356
ElizabethMossGalleries.com/laura-waller

Fall 2020, Member Submissions, UMVA Members Showcase

Laura Waller

I feel out of it. Everything is touched by this Pandemic but most of all, I feel out of it without people. And so, I paint what I miss. 

First, I painted friends and relatives as large faces that captured the essence of each person in their eyes and mouths which is how I feel we communicate. Gradually my studio filled with friendly faces and I was not alone. This series premieres at Elizabeth Moss Galleries September 26th.

Then I began two series that reflected the activities I missed most – gathering at art museums and eating out with those I love. The former gave me an added gift as I got to paint in the manner of favored artists in museums.

The Eating Out series evokes the joy when out  with a group of friends in a convivial restaurant setting. For me the best of dinners feels like a Mad Hatter’s  Tea Party.

Painting puts me in touch with what I miss during the Pandemic— literally.

Linda Gerson

Initially anxious, unmotivated, and disoriented, this time has opened possibilities I could never have imagined. Isolating at home with few distractions has given me the time to focus on my art in a new way. I am nourished by nature, my garden and my heightened awareness in the moment.

As I continue to work as a psychotherapist from home, I think my recent artwork reflects the roller coaster of inner peace entwined with worry about loved ones and the world.

Eva Rose Goetz

“Greetings from the New World”: Painting within a pandemic

In March, asked to socially isolate and wash our hands, I began journaling the pandemic through paintings. The world had stopped and all of us were experiencing and wondering what may greet us, together, isolated within the pandemic. This series was to visually report, reflect, and transcend the hurt and confusion playing out within the collective and myself; a coping mechanism.

As I painted, many died from the virus. COVID-19 brought into sharp focus unsustainable practices hidden within the folds of affluence and unjust health care policies. The murder of George Floyd proclaimed brutal police policies, coupled with racism, are undeniably alive and running through America’s veins. As the availability of water and space to distance became understood as necessary, the virus rebranded homelessness and the incarcerated as a “social health crisis.” Essential workers were revealed as the heroes they always have been, providing services necessary for our survival, with health care workers the superheroes, tirelessly caring for us.

Called to witness and absorb, I painted about it all.

I still paint. This story is not done.