Friday, April 17, 2020

Coronavirus Diaries

Well we all know what's been on our minds the past few months. No matter where you live.

In the corona spirit I offer a blog based on my sketchbook, images I've drawn for the past month based on my experience living a life at this time. I'll begin with some happy news, I had two sketches published in the New York Times.

Before Quarantine...

After Quarantine
And yes, I was in Spain.
Before I elaborate, the link for this article, entitled Coronavirus Diaries by Amelia Nierenberg is

nytimes.com/2020/03/30/style/coronavirus-diaries-social-history.html

The big idea is how people record their lives and there are a variety of examples, check it out! I'm excited.

I arrived in Spain on March 11 to visit my daughter for 3 weeks. Four days later a State of Emergency was declared and we were in quarantine. The vacation was not what I expected but offered me a unique opportunity to record my life at a very unusual time. And really, the fact I draw kept me going. It still does.

Take a look at a few of my sketches from this time period.



I take off from O'Hare, the virus has just begun to appear on people's radar







.
When the government declared the emergency - and they are still in quarantine as I write this - my sketching switched to what was inside.

I was lucky, my daughter has a nice terrace to expand the view

and of course the sink....




We all know how much I love laundry....





And then there was practicing perspective, oh so challenging on those streets.



And then it was time for all US citizens to go home. The airport was empty, there were 80 people grouped from several flights flying back to O'Hare.
What an unusual experience, ok, I don't need to repeat it, but still, it's all here in my sketchbook.

And now, back in Madison.