Anne M. Miller

 When the pandemic became a reality for us all, it seemed so very difficult to absorb, and everyone, all over the world, became immersed in the same experience. As time has progressed since the spring, it is fascinating how differently people and communities reacted and responded to this shared phenomenon. It is also heartbreaking how much loss and suffering has taken place.

It became a small season of loss for me, firstly with my beloved arts collective community closing shop, due to lack of income support. This created a vacuum for my usual venue of arts community, to share and sell works. I lost my desire to paint completely. For 19 years, painting has sustained and created joy for me. It became more difficult to teach painting, see family, grandchildren, friends, play tennis, book club and other gatherings.

Metaphorically, I hunkered down in a shell, reading, cooking, walking and netflix with my partner. What I did not lose was my curiosity as to why I didn't want to paint. I kept looking at nature and the world with the usual analysis of planning to recreate, but could not sit down to the brushes.

Having received this nomination, I threw myself down, to basically challenge that ennui and completely fell in love again,with the feeling of having a crush on a work in progress. I have never painted myself, so this was also an experience in self exploration.

I wanted to express how subdued this world has become, and how I experience my place at this time. I feel we are now, finally, peeking out of our warm and lonely cocoons, looking forward to a reawakening and a much stronger appreciation of what we can and could lose, and what we value most.