It has been a rollercoaster of emotions from the beginning of 2020. This year, many things happened from the pandemic, staying at home, demonstrating a live black mater, the news of a second wave, and so many other things. I had several emotions that I am sure so many of us had it, whether it is sad or even happy emotions, and it is OK to feel all of that because you are not alone; we all in this together.
What do you do to relieve the burden of emotions? Do you listen to music, paint, Netflixing, cook, or call a friend?
Please share with us in our fantastic community in Art Yard your way to refresh your mind during the day.
Sarah, "The Emotional Jar" Markers on paper.
I am a loner by nature, so being in quarantine has returned me to my natural home of being alone. I spend way too much time at my job, and i am drawing. I had to learn how to work with online model sessions for my classes. I love to draw from the figure.
In the last coble of months, I found myself loving staying at home crocheting, sewing, and making lots of Art without any rush. I sewed more than 7 masks and embroidered 3 of them as well. I even sewed masks for my husband and nephew. I also cooked and cleaned so much, mostly I spend more time at home now. I am trying to go out as much as I can now before winter comes and make it harder to go out.
My handmade sewed mask (The strawberry embroidery mask is the last one I made).
Like Marie, I am quite happy in solitude. That’s not to say this time has not been stressful. One thing I do to relieve stress and have a moving meditation time is Hooping!
Another thing I love to do is to read!
(Above) Books currently on my coffee table.
Vesper Flights by Helen Macdonald inspired the ART YARD lesson I taught in September. Which brings me to another thing which brings me great solace and inspiration— ART YARD and the ART YARD Artists!
Using art to reflect state of mind and the world’s ( working progress)
Days often feel mundane following a similar daily routine, I find myself seeking motivation out of the simple things around me.
@nayarittineo I love that, very thoughtful.
I'm sad that so many holiday traditions are cancelled. So I keep myself going by doing the things that I would normally do for holidays. Since Broadway, movie theaters, many restaurants, are closed - I spend most evenings at home either reading or watching a movie. I'm not a fan of horror movies so tonight (Halloween) I am going to watch one of my favorite psychological thrillers The Haunting (based on Shirley Jackson's novel The Haunting of Hill House). Of course I am going to watch the original with Julie Harris and Claire Bloom (1963). The remake in 1999 was terrible.
Lots of traditions for Halloween are cancelled: the Village Halloween Parade, and one of my favorites has always been the Pumpkin Flotilla at the Harlem Meer in Central Park (https://www.centralparknyc.org/articles/the-hair-raising-history-of-the-halloween-pumpkin-flotilla) - both of these events are not happening this year.
Also - every Halloween, the building that I live in has a nice tradition: there's a kids and dogs costume parade in the lobby and afterwards they go around trick-or-treating within the building. If a resident choses to participate, he/she decorates a pumpkin and puts it outside the apartment door. That's the signal for the kids to know that it's ok to ring the bell and shout "trick or treat'. The kids select their favorite pumpkins and the winners are announced in the lobby once votes are tallied. Anyway - NONE of these things are happening this year.
It's hard to break an almost 30 year tradition so I am still decorating my pumpkins and placing them outside our door. Earlier this year at PS 6 in Jersey City, we hosted a bunch of classes based on the works of Yayoi Kusama and showed images of her well-known decorated pumpkins - so I thought I'd jump on the bandwagon and decorate my pumpkins in sort of Kusama style. I painted the pumpkins with yellow acrylic paint first and the stems with black or red acrylic and the same for the circles. Whoever thinks making lots of circles in even rows is easy would be VERY wrong! I think Yayoi would be disappointed in mine. Making straight rows on an odd shaped pumpkin is hard! How'd I do?
Dennis, I love your pumpkins idea, very creative. We should add your pumpkin to the Art gallery at PS6. It is going to be a statement.
@sarah.a.g I think they'll be pretty rotten by the time the school opens. Any ideas on how to preserve it?
I love your pumpkins Dennis! That’s a great idea.