The first responders, the health care workers, the transit and the delivery armies, and the people who work in our food and other essential businesses, have had their hands full. Those who can work remotely are doing so. Educators and parents are scrambling. So many people are ill, or bereft.

I normally work on site and on a crew, painting scenery for theater, TV, and film, so none of my accustomed employment has been there.  I’ve been squirreled away, all these months,  painting in my studio on more consecutive days than ever before.  I’ve been working to depict the beloved things that sustain us always, but especially now: the people, places, objects, and the animals. I observe them as carefully and closely as I can, trying to express their color, character, and expression. I am extremely grateful that I’ve been able to use the time this way. It brings me joy.

Mary M. Blanchard