A Solitary Shadow

With the unsettling time we are living in due to the current COVID-19 crisis, I am returning to a subject I love, water lilies, painting a larger series of works. The title of each painting in the series reflects how I am feeling during this unprecedented time and how I feel while I’m in the process of creation. The beautiful, calming subject matter puts my mind at ease and while working on them I lose myself into a meditative state. In many ancient cultures the water lily symbolizes rebirth and peace. I’m conscious of this working on this series, and it is my hope as we come out on the other side of this global pandemic, we have renewed hope for a better future.

During this unsettling time of the pandemic and issues with racism finally in the forefront, the title of this work A Solitary Shadow, for me has multiple meanings. Without social interaction during this global pandemic, I’m living a more solitary, slower paced life with time for thought and reflection on what is important. The shadow in this work symbolizes the shadow that the coronavirus and inequality of many races has placed globally over human kind, with the beauty of the overall image, reminding me love and beauty will triumph over hatred. Lastly, having had both parents succumb at an early age to lung disease, as are many who have perished with COVID-19, the “shadow” makes reference to the shadow on the lung seen when those with lung conditions are x-rayed.