Semester Two ~ Final Project

The semester has come to an end, and I have submitted my final piece. 

Any suggestions on a title?   

I will miss my talented classmates and awesome instructor. This summer I hope to continue painting and keeping my skills sharpened and my ideas fluid. 

Summer... the thought of summer makes my inside giddy with anticipation.   

Have a great day my friends and an amazing May Day weekend ahead. 

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Diaries of a Foisted Home Office

Home Office Worker #32620

Work day 19: In just a few short days, I am proud to announce that I am now happy to be working from home. I have recovered from the initial feelings of job vulnerability that working from home caused. I have embraced my new schedule and proven to myself, and hopefully to the college administration, that I can complete 99% of my job working from home. What I am not able to do is help a faculty member operate the copy machine or stock the three copy machines in the building with paper, help distribute the mail or assist the random community member who is having difficulty locating the planetarium in our building. All important parts of working in an office, however since the building is closed to all normal activity no one needs our assistance.

This opens up a few questions in my mind; why do I need to go to an office to do my job? When the pandemic has eased and our movements are no longer limited; should we just go back to the way we were living our lives?

Thoughts to ponder from author Arundhati Roy and her article titled ‘The pandemic is a portal’. This article is a bit of a longer read and starts out making you wonder where it is going but keep reading. It is insightful, and my take away message are the words at the end.

“What is this thing that has happened to us? It’s a virus, yes. In and of itself it holds no moral brief. But it is definitely more than a virus. Some believe it’s God’s way of bringing us to our senses. Others that it’s a Chinese conspiracy to take over the world.

Whatever it is, coronavirus has made the mighty kneel and brought the world to a halt like nothing else could. Our minds are still racing back and forth, longing for a return to “normality”, trying to stitch our future to our past and refusing to acknowledge the rupture. But the rupture exists. And in the midst of this terrible despair, it offers us a chance to rethink the doomsday machine we have built for ourselves. Nothing could be worse than a return to normality.

Historically, pandemics have forced humans to break with the past and imagine their world anew. This one is no different. It is a portal, a gateway between one world and the next.

We can choose to walk through it, dragging the carcasses of our prejudice and hatred, our avarice, our data banks and dead ideas, our dead rivers and smoky skies behind us. Or we can walk through lightly, with little luggage, ready to imagine another world. And ready to fight for it.”

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Diaries of a Foisted Home Office

*Because humor is currently my way of dealing with this very stressful time*

Home Office Inmate #32620

Work day 17: I have settled into a routine which always serves me well, as I am sure it does you, and a sense of normalcy has returned to my work tasks. I did return to my campus office the middle of last week, after seeking permission from the administration, to retrieve my full computer workstation desktop and monitors. I thought that working on a laptop would be okay but given the length of time our hunkering down will be, and the type of tasks I routinely perform, it quickly became apparent that I am more efficient working with more monitor real-estate. This change has added stability and comfort to my work day.

The next nuance that I need to master is leaving the job at the home office door, and not bring it into the rest of our home.

I am thankful to be working the type of job that is weighted heavily towards computer based tasks as this allows me the ability to work from home. Something I do not take for granted.

May each of us continue to find peace in these troubling days. Stay strong in mind and spirit, and continued good health to you and yours.

Semester Two Project Three

Project Three ~ Thiebaud's Approach 

Based off artist Wayne Thiebaud.

Project objectives:

Eliminate the horizon line

Dramatic cropping 

Eastern prospective 

Shadow & shape treatments 

I have titled this piece "Climb and Maintain 2000". 

Or it could be "Just Keep Flying"

Or "Chaos"

Or "My COVID-19 Piece", like Picasso's blue period.  

Anywho. Moving on to the final.

Continued health my friends. Stay strong. Share kindness.

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Diaries of a Foisted Home Office

*Because humor is currently my way of dealing with this very stressful time*

Home Office Inmate #32620

Day five: the good thing about my new home office is my refrigerator is always close-at-hand. The bad news is when supper time rolls around I just don't seem to be hungry.

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In all seriousness many among us have food insecurities, whether due to homelessness, poverty, living in war conflict areas, the list seems endless. Add in a pandemic that has created a need for as many of us as possible to hunker down, and food insecurities for these folks increase ten-fold.

There are those among us who are still able to help pack breakfast and lunches for our school children in need, those who help pack food boxes for our local food-banks, and... endless good deeds list here. My hats off to you folks who are able to continue serving our communities. You guys are rock solid!

Stay safe, wash your hands Roger, and keep in touch with your family and friends!

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