Up Close From a Distance
"Loneliness is the poverty of the self; solitude is the richness of the self."
— May Sarton, American Belgian poet
Michaela: Sun-kissed and Windswept
30" x 40" | Oil on Belgian Linen
A series in which I juxtaposed my art against the pandemic's disheartening impact on day to day life. As social distancing and isolation essentially confined me to my home and my art studio, I used my art to recapture a sense of connection with people outside my household and to address the distress and melancholy I felt from isolation. The models are individuals whose faces and emotions I know well--friends, children of friends and family. To show faces and emotions " up close and personal" I have used large canvases. As a result, the paintings are best viewed from several steps away. Thus the title:
Up Close From A Distance
![My friend found an old photograph of himself taken 75 years ago as a young army recruit who survived World War II. To get into the army, which was still segregated, the young man lied about his age. (He was only 14.) In the photo and the painting, he seems not yet completely in synch with being a soldier.
The young man was honorably discharged in 1947 and, in his words, he “return[ed] to Evansville, Indiana, went back to Lincoln High School, and played football. The schools were segregated in those days …”
Eventually, the young man became a minister, with powerful insights and almost unbounded compassion. He has spent 65 years in the ministry, preached from many pulpits, been paster to many churches, including 14 years as a pastor in the African Methodist Episcopal Church in Minneapolis and St. Paul. He has served as chaplain to a state department of corrections and also to a professional basketball team.
Also during the past 75 years, the once young man has become a husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, foster parent, religious leader, counselor, author, and in his words, “emissary for G-d.” At the age of 92 continues to study and expound the Bible, praise G-d, and exemplify loving kindness. He has been a close family friend for more than 25 years.](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/2bbfb2_e0156127f0414566983761ffe9ad4d12~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1480,h_1480,q_75,enc_avif,quality_auto/2bbfb2_e0156127f0414566983761ffe9ad4d12~mv2.jpg)
![This is a portrait of an adorable and adored baby girl; the painting’s title comes from a remark once made by her mother. The baby girl is the great grandchild of a very close friend.
This is also a portrait of joy transcending sadness. This baby’s mother [not shown] lost her own mother while still a teenager. With the help, love and guidance of her extended family, the teenager grew into a strong and determined young woman. And she is the supremely loving mother of her two children. Despite the teenager’s terrible loss, the young woman has the capacity to enfold her children in love. And so she does.](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/2bbfb2_32eaa1c9659c40e0a9893b6c93a36c75~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1156,h_1156,q_75,enc_avif,quality_auto/2bbfb2_32eaa1c9659c40e0a9893b6c93a36c75~mv2.jpg)
