New Work in Progress: Blood Donation Painting

I've been working on my blood donation painting, trying different layouts, like this one. I also  experimented with the square shapes tighter, but I think I'll go with this more spread out view.

I decided to make this painting because after donating my kidney in October 2019, I want to do more to physically help others, and I decided to give blood.

 

A few weeks after my blood donation, I found out through the Red Cross that my blood was sent to Holy Family Hospital in Methuen MA to help a patient in need. 

 

That's totally inspired me to donate again. I already have my next appointment scheduled.

The next step in this painting is to attach all the square shapes to the red gridded background. Then additional steps afterward.

Inspiration for New Artwork

After donating my left kidney to a woman I don't know in Wisconsin in December 2019, in exchange for the kidney my son received in October 2019, I feel that I want to do more to physically help others, so I decided to give blood, something I haven't done since 2012.

 

I went to an American Red Cross donation center on August 14, 2020, not knowing that they actually tell you where your blood went.

 

Yesterday I received an email that told me that my blood donation was sent to Holy Family Hospital in Methuen MA to help a patient in need. 

 

That's inspired me to not only donate again when I next can, but I am thinking about creating a painting about it. I'm not sure what it'll be yet, but this is a detail of some monoprinted (appropriately red) fabric I may use.

Covid restaurant barriers decoration

Nice decoration on the outdoor restaurant Covid patio eating area barriers in Natick Center (in Natick, MA)! There are pictures of all the painted electric boxes represented including mine.

 

Work in Progress: Dates in a Life Project 2020

Here is work in progress through August on my Dates in a Life Project 2020, a year-long painting project documenting the number of steps I walked, and the number of flights of stairs I climbed, each day. 

Since I started working from home because of the Pandemic, I have mostly walked 10,000 steps or more (the red shapes), around 4 miles, each day. In August  I walked over 9000 steps (the big black circles) on 6 days, which I think is also an accomplishment since there were quite a number of days when it was pretty hot and it's hard for me to walk when it is.

For me, walking is great exercise as well as a stress reducer. I'm going to try to keep this pace up, now that we have less sunlight as we move toward fall, and as work gets busier.

One set of marks still not reflected on this painting yet is bike riding. I bought a bike on May 26th after not riding since 1984. I'm still trying to decide how to best make marks reflecting the number of miles I'm riding, in addition the number of steps I walk.

This painting is mixed media on stiffened fabric. I keep track of my steps and flights of stairs using the Pedometer app in my iPhone.

New Work: Hoping to Avoid a Second Wave #2

Hoping to Avoid a Second Wave #2

23.25” x 24.5

2020 

The Covid-19 numbers in Massachusetts were pretty low for much of the summer, but started inching up in August as people grow restless and want to socialize and travel in the warm weather. My family and I are being diligent and not taking risks unless we have to, but as I walk around my neighborhood and see big parties, I am filled with a range of feelings about it. This painting is trying to express visually what I'm feeling inside.

The series is created using monoprinted the textures of construction fences, combined with handpainting and stitching on fabric. The top whole cloth layer of the fence is stitched to the drop cloth foundation below. The fence “holes” are cut away so drop cloth pattern can be seen through the fence. The two layers of fabric are then stiffened, cut and shifted to create a fractured design.

More new in progress: Hoping to Avoid a Second Wave #2

These photos show as I cut away the colorful squares of the monoprint of a construction fence, leaving the grid on top of a drop cloth. There is just a little left to do before the next step of cutting and fracturing the whole into pieces, and stitching them back together, to express my feeling about people being reckless during the pandemic.

National Kidney Foundation of New England

I am excited that my artwork is being highlighted at the National Kidney Foundation (NKF) of New England's Honors Gala, and that it's also on the cover of the  program.

Because of Covid-19, the Gala is virtual this week, from August 17-21, 2020. During the program, Amy Brooks, my friend and neighbor, and a kidney recipient herself, tells my donation story and shows a number of my paintings.

If you feel so inclined, please consider making a donation to the National Kidney Foundation of New England.

Thank you very much to the NKF, and Amy, for giving me the opportunity!