Our fifteenth post of the series, Artists in the Time of Coronavirus includes Jen McCleary, Steven Climer, Rebecca Shultz, Lynnette Shelley, Tiff Urquhart, and G.S. Bullen! Thank you for all who submitted! And if you want to participate, send your statement (250 words max) and 2 photos to support@theartblog.org. More details here. Stay safe and stay positive, and come back in the days to come for more “Artists in the Time of Coronavirus.” We have a wonderful community and are so proud of being able to share everyone’s art.
[Note: We have gotten over 200 submissions, so if you haven’t seen yours yet, don’t worry- it is coming, and we can’t wait to post it!]
Jen McCleary
I’ve attached two photos- one is of me in my home studio and the other is of the mixed-media collage piece I completed most recently. It (and 90% of my work) is currently in a gallery space that is closed for the foreseeable future.
I already work from my home studio as a freelance graphic designer and fine artist, so my daily routine hasn’t changed that much. However, all the shows I was planning to do this spring have been cancelled, which is discouraging. All the fun activities I normally do to get out of the house and not be a total hermit have also been cancelled- circus classes at Secret Circus, concerts, ceramics classes at Wallingford Community Arts center. I’m not even going for my usual weekend hikes in state parks because I’m afraid there will be too many people there. I get allergy-related asthma almost every spring, so I’m fairly paranoid about catching COVID-19 since my lungs are already not great. Aside from walks around the neighborhood and gardening in my yard, I haven’t left my house since March 13.
I’m trying to stay positive and think of ways to use this time well instead of just sitting and constantly refreshing the news feed on my phone and quietly freaking out. I re-started my daily art journal habit and have been posting timelapse videos to social media since people seem to enjoy them. I started a funny Photoshop project called The Adventures of Pipa Parrot. Since we’re all stuck at home, I’m photoshopping my pet parrot virtually travelling to different destinations that people have suggested on Instagram and Facebook. I hope it brings a small moment of amusement to someone’s day. I’m thinking about making it into a children’s book eventually.
www.jenmccleary.com
https://www.facebook.com/JenMcClearyArt/
https://www.instagram.com/jenmcclearyart/
jen@jenmccleary.com
Steven Climer
I am using art for mental health during the quarantine. I have synesthesia, specifically with fragrances. I paint what I smell because I see it as colors. The attached abstracts are inspired by perfumes at my friend’s shop in Old City called perfumology
Rebecca Schultz
This year I’m an artist in residence at the Cheltenham Art Center, which means that, for the first time since art school, I have a big studio space all to myself. Ten days ago, the Center cancelled its public programs and classes, but I could still work there. A week later, the building had to be closed. Now I’m getting my home studio organized so I can start painting again. I am supposed to have a two-person show with the other resident in May, which we’ve both been working on since last September, but it’s anybody’s guess if and how that will still happen. So I’ve just got to keep painting and not worry about it.
Website: www.rebeccaschultzprojects.com
Instagram: @rschultzartist
Lynnette Shelley
(this was the centerpiece for a solo show of mine at Community Music School in Trappe, PA that went up in early March but had to be closed due to the Covid-19 shut downs)
(This is an artwork that supposed to go into the Yellow Springs Art Show in Chester Springs, PA, in April, but that show has been postponed – no rescheduled dates as of yet).
I am a full-time artist working out of Ambler, PA (near Philadelphia) specializing in contemporary animal art. Currently the Governor of Pennsylvania is ordering residents in my county to stay at home (except for essential tasks for work or health). All of my art shows up until early summer are either cancelled or postponed. As someone who works for myself, I am not eligible for unemployment and I am currently making zero income. I have been working for myself since 2007 and the past couple of years in particular I felt that my hard work was finally starting to pay off and my business was growing. Now, I am not sure if my business will survive when all of this is over. I am not complaining as I know the necessity of the lockdowns to save lives and not overwhelm the hospital systems. But I think a lot of artists and the self-employed in general, will be collateral damage. Right now I am continuing work from home (While I can still go to my studio as it a private space, I felt it was best to collect some of my work things from there and work from home as much as I can). I have a commission that I started before all of this and I am going to try and finish it. I am also working on some other paintings in case I still have shows this summer (As of right now I still have a featured show in the works in June that I hope will still be on. And if that one cancels, I have an outdoor festival in August in a beach town). Also an old friend of mine who runs a web hosting and design company recently contacted me to see I was available for a freelance design project, so I am seeing if that pans out. I am just trying to live day to day and see what happens. For those that like my work and are able, you can visit the links below to view my art or inquire about purchasing my art. Thank you.
LINKS
Website https://www.lynnetteshelley.com
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/LynnetteShelleyArtist
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/lynnette_shelley/
Lynette Shelley in “Artists in the time of Pandemic” by John Thornton
Tiff Urquhart
Daily inspiration is shaped by experiences, perspectives, encounters and everyday life. With a shift in life comes a shift in inspiration. I’ve found myself delving deeper into the now. Thinking about the future causes worry and angst. Thinking about the past does no good either. I’ve tried to keep myself in the present moment. Not just through the pandemic but as a regular way of thinking. What is going on now? What line am I drawing? What is the texture I’m working on? What colors are really fitting together to bring some light and joy? To bring a glimpse of happiness and a smile to someone from my work is what I strive for and it starts by waking up every morning with a focus on now.
G.S. Bullen
My daily life has only shifted in the sense that my one man dog walking company is on hiatus because of the shutdown, I’m quite the loner and introvert. Other than that, it’s mostly interactions with others that has changed, some people more openly cradling the false comforts of panic and despair, others discomforted by the silence and mood, many staying positive, some angry and demanding the shutdown unnecessary, it’s all fascinating to absorb and process.
G.S. Bullen
