These are new times for sure. The COVID-19 global pandemic has scratched the scab of capitalism and we are bleeding out. Economic disparities have been magnified. The same inequalities and inequities that have existed for hundreds of years that we (mostly white people) have been complacently causing and avoiding repairing are rising to the surface. Worn out systems are more fragile than ever. Falling apart even. Folks are suffering without enough to eat due to loss of income, people are working in conditions that are not safe in order to treat the sick and provide essential services, folks don’t have homes to shelter in place. And on the other side of this COVID-19 equation there is much mutual aid and care happening. People are supporting each other with supplies, money, food, listening ears, amplifying voices…and art. The ways in which we tend to our relationships are changing. Some are strengthening bonds even though from far away. This is just a little bit of what I have been observing and obviously there is so much more nuance to these times. I do believe it’s our responsibility, as people with privilege to do what we can to share, share, share in whatever form that is possible. Small scale actions lead to big changes as we know (Emergent Strategy). Every bit of care counts.

This Venn diagram I made is a visual representation of what I see happening these days. Feel free to share it.

So, what do art and capitalism have to do with my work? To be honest on March 11 when the World Health Organization announced the global pandemic I froze. I had no idea what to do. I wondered how promoting my art would be of any help to anyone during this time. I am working on developing some online classes but they are nowhere near ready. And I felt like it it would be silly of me to launch the sale that I had had planned for early spring. All events that I had planned on making installation art for in the spring were cancelled as I know so many of our plans were. Collaborations postponed. All the while I was feeling guilty for not being productive, not revamping my website, not launching my sale and promoting my new work, and not creating. I wasn’t painting and I wasn’t making art. I went for about three weeks without making anything. Capitalism was telling me I was doing it all wrong. I was not producing with the time that had been given me.

Then, slowly, knowing I wanted to do something, I began to ask more questions and not just of myself but of my friends, family, peers, collaborators, and people in my community. The main question being “ Why is it important for me (us) to make and share art right now?”, and “What can I do to be helpful to the most vulnerable right now besides donating money?” The response was an overwhelming “ Keep creating because right now more than ever people need your (our) art to bring joy, uplift, and provide a respite from daily life.” Sounds great! But I still faltered in making a start even though I had this encouragement. So I started small and thought of something I could do and share for free. I am creating pretty hand painted postcards that I send in the mail to anyone that wants one and I made some wallpapers that are free to use on phones. Good start. I’ve had many internet art dates with friends from around the world and that feels like collaboration of the best kind when we can’t physically be together. Yay! Then I started a few new paintings and little by little I felt I was getting back in the flow. Finally, I decided to launch my Studio Sale and to my delighted surprise you all came through and bought four paintings in one week, proving that art does bring joy and we desire to have it to uplift our lives and spaces. As a result of this sale I was able to make a donation to Beloved Asheville who are providing a essentials to the homeless and marginalized right now in our community. All of these things combined have got me back in the studio and feeling flush with creativity. Capitalism says there is one way to do things. We can choose differently when we continue to question and connect and know that living is not linear, there are many paths to the same destination.

Now, I’m not saying that what I create will be chock-full of hidden or clear messages and meanings about capitlism. But what I’m saying is that now is the time for me to share more fully my experience with art and capitalism. As you know most of my paintings are visual representations of nature magic with a deep, respectful love of the earth. I create scenes that are fantastical with bold swaths of color and shapes that show up in the natural world that we are a part of, not separate from. With respect to nature, this act of art making in itself goes against the grains of capitalist systems because what capitalism asks us to do is to separate ourselves from nature, to disconnect from the earth and to treat it like a machine that is here to serve us…And then sometimes there will be a clear message in my work as represented here in a painting I created last year about enclosures (see definition which is much more understandable than the way I say it) during the time in which I was taking the course called Sowing Post-Capitalist Seeds with Anuradha Kowtha and Moriah Helms. You can see here that there is a circle enclosing a landscape which represents the commons. The commons, which are land or areas that are open to all to use and explore, have been enclosed and restricted from indigenous cultures and existing rural communities by the rich and colonizing for centuries and still today. The white circle in the painting represents the rich who are mostly white and enclosed in the circle is access to clean water, fertile soil, and common gathering spaces. Within the white circle you can also see tiny white crosses that act as a hedge which represent the religions that have been a big part in creating these separations and enclosures. On the outside of the circle you see the people that have been displaced and shut out of the commons by the people in power. The lands that are enclosed then become private and the people forced out of the enclosure were labeled as landless workers. You can see too on the outside of the circle the land is bare and void of nature.

So as you can feel now, there will be times when I feel the need to share a deeper message with my colorful art. And there will be times when I want to share a pretty picture with you. It’s all a part of who I am as an artist and the responsibility and desire I feel to not only provide you with art that brings joy, but also art that assists in asking questions. Art that reminds us and asks us about our role in capitalism, how it is intertwined in our everyday life, and the ways we can do things differently that benefits all people and nature which are inseparable.. My hope is that you enjoy all the ways I create and receive something that feels good from viewing my art that you didn’t have before.

Thank you for reading this blog post. I’d love to hear your thoughts below!