"Art has been a way to stay ahead of depression and hopelessness during the pandemic. Creativity has always been a comfort, but it quickly turned into a literal lifeline as 2020 lurched forward in all its interminable terribleness. Paradoxically, the worst year of my life turned into the most productive I've ever had for art. Much of the work completed during the pandemic centered on all the contradictory emotional responses I had to this monster which had swallowed my life whole with no guarantee of ever spitting it back again. . “Only time will tell how the pandemic experience will affect my art in the future, but lately, I've noticed a tendency toward less intense emotional themes than those explored in 2020. I've not yet started painting kittens, but you never know. I use 1-Shot Lettering Enamel exclusively. This paint is designed for professional sign painters, and my style has developed accordingly." - Lynda McClanahan | #ohioartsbeacon #OhioArtist #pandemicart #covidart #pandemicpainting #creativity #oneshotenamel #enamelpaint #oilbasedenamel #portrait #dachshunds 
"Life is filled with happiness and sadness. I choose to take the sadness and turn that darkness into something bright and wonderful and happy. Vibrant colors energize and inspire. During the early parts of the pandemic, I needed something to help make my time quarantining at home meaningful, so I focused on painting and creating joy. After my paintings were completed, I chose long, quirky titles to reflect that period and add a little humor to it all. Over the course of this past year, I created 15 colorful paintings that helped me channel my energy and keep me in a place of joy." - Alisa H. Workman (@ahworkman) | #ohioartsbeacon #Ohioartist #vibrantcolors #flowers #garden #quarantineart #covidart #create #art #painting #floralpainting #EvenGroceryStoreFlowersMakeYouFeelGood #Vacation 
"This painting is called 'My Ohio.' It is ephemera that I have picked up while walking around outside in Ohio. This is my COVID-19 painting. I started it soon after the lockdown and wondered whether I would get my vaccines before I finished it. I finished it about a week before my second vaccine." - Amy Lewandowski (@amylewandowskiwatercolors) | #ohioartsbeacon #OhioArtist #watercolors #covidart #lockdownart #myOhio #itemsinnature #collection #nature #painting 
"COVID-19 reinforced that time shouldn’t be wasted or taken for granted. Throughout this pandemic my art making has not halted. I have missed being around people in person because teaching art classes in person was affected due to safety concerns. Prior to COVID-19, I had my plan to teach online. Well, COVID-19 has been a fire-starter because now I’m teaching online too. I have two children, but having a teen son has given me no choice but to 'keep it movin.'” . My perseverance and light come from my faith in God. Painting, artmaking, and writing has been therapeutic, which has brought some normalcy during this pandemic. The time is now to do it!" - Rozenia Cunningham | #ohioartsbeacon #Ohioartist #covidart #painting #arttherapy #artmaking #acrylic #bloomingday #wildingout #bird #animalart #nature #flowers #floral 
"The greatest challenge with COVID-19 circumstances is getting opportunities to share my work with patrons and fellow artists in real life. It's easy to share on social media; however, seeing original art is more impactful. I never realized how much social interaction is an integral part of an artist's life. Sharing and being with groups of people is both stimulating and rewarding. Creating brings me great joy and grounds me during this strange period of change. I strive to capture emotion, joy, and good feelings through my representational work. My style is traditional and representational with a slight contemporary flair. It reflects my values, rural upbringing, and environment."- Terry Meyer | #ohioartsbeacon #representationalart #OhioArtist #covidart #artist #creating #painting #contemporarypainting #icecream #dog #isthatforme #neopolitansmile 
"The pandemic has given me time to truly focus on my art and not be distracted by the outside world. My attempt to bring beauty to others through art is a coping mechanism to the loss and loneliness of isolation. By incorporating semi-precious stones directly into my paintings, I draw the viewer in with the discovery of sparkle, depth, and natural beauty. 'Eternity' is beauty and light as I feel it." - Gina Wolfrum (@Gina_Wolfrum_art_studio) | #ohioartsbeacon #eternity #covidart #quarantineart #painting #semipreciousstones #naturalbeauty #OhioArtist 
"The impact of global environmental destruction and loss of biodiversity has affected many important natural ecosystems. As ocean waters warm in temperature, coral reefs bleach, creating a chain reaction of damage onto other coral populations. This phenomenon is both beautiful and haunting. I use the materiality of paper altered through hand cutting, deeply embossing, and inking to create organic forms with color-altered shadows. . "I start with photographs of coral I take in aquariums and zoos, then hand-draw designs, which I turn into digital line images. These are used to create the printing matrix or plate using a laser cutter. Each plate is used to transfer imagery to paper. Parts of that paper are then cut by hand. Once each layer is created, they are stacked together and are able to droop and settle. . "As I consider my personal experiences with loss, disease, and grief, I create large installations with print media to explore the interconnectedness of ecological destruction and human fragility." - Susanna Harris (@SusannaHarrisCreates) | #ohioartsbeacon #OhioArtist #papercutting #paperart #embossing #coral #natureinspired #natureofloss #environment #paper 
"As the pandemic began, it was a reason to hunker down in the studio and work without interruption. As the horror of COVID-19 became apparent, anxiety set in, which I tend to offset with intense creative work. As the lockdown wore on, so did the lack of companionship, artistic discussion, and inspiration from other artists and venues—isolation became a burden. My work during this time was rather dark and pessimistic. . “This particular piece was created as a symbol of hope. I wanted to do something positive to remind myself and others that there is a new normal, and we may even emerge stronger and more aware of issues we are facing, including health, social justice, environmental protection, and political moderation."- Char Norman (@charstegernorman) | #ohioartsbeacon #fiberart #fiberartist #fibersculpture #hope #covidart #creativework #OhioArtist 
"'Rising' was born through a series of artworks where I was focusing on dealing with feelings of depression and the general feelings of being overwhelmed. As I was working with pastels in a free-form manner, I was able to let go of pent-up frustrations and find a way of seeing a light at the end of this current tunnel. I have found a revised passion for my artmaking through the need to express feeling through my artwork." - Carrie Barnett (@artsycarrie) | #ohioartsbeacon #covidart #pastelart #expression #pastels