To quote Jerry Garcia of the Grateful Dead…”What a long strange trip its been.” So much that has transpired, experienced and withstood - and all without leaving home!

Different places throughout the world have been impacted by the corona virus, some more extreme than others…and we have come to understand how tenuous life can be, when everything is turned topsy-turvy by something that is impossible to see with the naked eye.

While our community is still operating under stay at home orders, thankfully we have been able to get outside for exercise and enjoy plenty of fresh air. The Southern Man and I have taken to traversing our city on foot, in the early mornings, when there is little human contact and non-existent traffic….exploring neighborhood streets, alleys and hidden pathways.

And though this has been a physical exploration of our environment, there’s been quite a mental journey these last number of weeks as well…

I started work on a collage in January that would come to echo the thoughts I’ve been having during the pandemic…I’ve taken a different path than others I know and I sometimes reflect where I might have ended up if my choices along the way had been different.

I don’t regret my choices…they have led me to where I am now, and influence my daily art practice. I think the connection we feel with art is twofold…not only do we relate to a piece of art because of the familiar, a similar experience or idea but also we examine how we can be provoked and challenged…to look at a composition in a different light…to change our perspective.

The creation and construction of this collage started with my usual practice of gathering materials that sparked a theme. My digital photo of my hiking boots meshed with my photo of branches, sky and birds was the impetus…where would I go if the sky was the limit…where have I been that influences my journey. Vintage maps from an old atlas and postage stamps from around the world would be the color, texture and tone to round out the story…

The Robert Frost quote immediately came to mind as I was sorting materials…and the discovery of the Robert Frost postage stamp solidified my direction…happenstance or cosmic intervention?…did it matter?

Once I have a firm blueprint of my final concept, I often find that the rest of the collage construction easily falls into place…as if all the components understand the part they play and happily comply…

The chaos of the corona virus has wrecked havoc on summer schedules…the Wedgwood Art Festival in July has been canceled and the Artist Garage Sale rescheduled to September. At this point, I’m hopeful that the Fresh Paint Art Festival at the Everett Marina will be held in mid August…where this mixed media collage will be for sale.

Without the constraints of show deadlines nor the routine of a previous daily schedule, I find that I’m in a bit of a lull…able to rest, reflect, rejuvenate. What path lies ahead…how will we navigate it - both as a community and as an individual…is it time to change course…

There have been a couple of times in my life when I had to make a course correction…not always quite sure where I would end up nor what my life would look like, but I forged ahead because there was no way back…only forward. It seems different now…we’re all a little unsure…we’ve been given an opportunity, both as a community and as one creative soul to another, to make a change. This is some of what I think about as I tinker at my work table…trying out new ideas, exploring different mediums, considering an alternative approach.

Yes, what a long strange trip its been…and its not over yet.