The coronavirus has really locked things down around this house. We're keeping a low profile, doing stuff in our own private places (house, yard, studio), and venturing out as little as possible. That part is fairly easy to accept: there's a deadly virus out there, so minimize your chances of catching it. And we're pretty quiet and private people, anyway.
What's been much more stressful is the massive stupidity that is even more widespread than the virus. Way too many people are way too eager to get back to "normality" RIGHT NOW, and to hell with any virus. "It's just the flu, and anyway, it's a Democratic hoax, and by the way I HAVE A RIGHT TO TAKE MY AR-15 ANYWHERE". The past two months, and especially the past four weeks, have shown that the spirit of the Greatest Generation is long gone. People are way more concerned with their own petty wants, have no trust for people who actually know things about viruses and epidemiology, and are perfectly happy to fuck the rest of the world over so they can have a good time. The just-completed Memorial Day weekend was full of examples, with people jamming beaches, restaurants, bars, pools, churches, parks, stores, you name it. I expect we'll see many of them jamming ICU's before long. I'll have no sympathy whatsoever for them, but I will have sympathy for those people that they spread the virus to. And I'm doing everything I can to NOT be one of those people.
Keeping busy isn't a problem here. I had a proposal-writing project that required a lot of time and effort. Springtime demands lots of work in the yard and we've had way more rain than normal, meaning the grass and weeds are growing way faster than normal. And my Alfa is in the garage with a big chunk of the interior removed so I can do some work on it.
In the studio, I've been reading, watching art videos and online demos, and experimenting with new-to-me techniques. Most have gone right into the trash can. Two paintings are nearing completion after being in progress for seemingly forever. Both are small and I keep thinking they really should be bigger, as in 30x40 or 36x48, meaning I'd have to start over again. Shouldn't take "forever" since the small ones are working out most of the issues with composition, color, and technique, but still, that's a lot of work. And I have a couple of other ideas pending for new paintings anyway.
So: I'm off to the studio this afternoon. Or the garage. Whatever.
What's been much more stressful is the massive stupidity that is even more widespread than the virus. Way too many people are way too eager to get back to "normality" RIGHT NOW, and to hell with any virus. "It's just the flu, and anyway, it's a Democratic hoax, and by the way I HAVE A RIGHT TO TAKE MY AR-15 ANYWHERE". The past two months, and especially the past four weeks, have shown that the spirit of the Greatest Generation is long gone. People are way more concerned with their own petty wants, have no trust for people who actually know things about viruses and epidemiology, and are perfectly happy to fuck the rest of the world over so they can have a good time. The just-completed Memorial Day weekend was full of examples, with people jamming beaches, restaurants, bars, pools, churches, parks, stores, you name it. I expect we'll see many of them jamming ICU's before long. I'll have no sympathy whatsoever for them, but I will have sympathy for those people that they spread the virus to. And I'm doing everything I can to NOT be one of those people.
Keeping busy isn't a problem here. I had a proposal-writing project that required a lot of time and effort. Springtime demands lots of work in the yard and we've had way more rain than normal, meaning the grass and weeds are growing way faster than normal. And my Alfa is in the garage with a big chunk of the interior removed so I can do some work on it.
In the studio, I've been reading, watching art videos and online demos, and experimenting with new-to-me techniques. Most have gone right into the trash can. Two paintings are nearing completion after being in progress for seemingly forever. Both are small and I keep thinking they really should be bigger, as in 30x40 or 36x48, meaning I'd have to start over again. Shouldn't take "forever" since the small ones are working out most of the issues with composition, color, and technique, but still, that's a lot of work. And I have a couple of other ideas pending for new paintings anyway.
So: I'm off to the studio this afternoon. Or the garage. Whatever.
No comments:
Post a Comment