Artwork > Translations > connected art reflecting empathy (c.a.r.e.)
Welcome Home
Link 1: "Welcome Home" submitted by Rachel Dayanim
Link 2: Please Come In, assemblage submitted by Cecilia Kremer
Artist Reflection: I dream of the day I can welcome everyone to my home again, to share meals, laughs, and hugs. Oh, how I miss hugging my friends and family… Since the pandemic began, about a year ago, I’ve been bringing warm meals, once a week, to a beautiful old lady who lives alone. Her broad smile, sweet disposition, and gratefulness have been inspirational. As I said, I cannot wait to the day I can invite my friends and family over for dinner, but more than anything, I now dream about inviting my new friend, this wonderful soul, close to 90 years old, who continues to exemplify what having a good attitude in life can do to cope with adversity. You would think I am taking care of her, but truly, she is the one taking care of me…
Link 3: Joy, Warmth, Love For You, watercolor and gouache on paper submitted by Alison Judd
Artist Reflection: When I first opened "Please Come In' I was immediately drawn to the large red triangle. It felt like such a bright, strong shape. I wanted to play on the idea of the triangle, both as representing a roof in a home, and also as a shape that exists when three lines meet/ come together, it also represents social distancing over the past year as each point is distanced from the other in these triangles. I thought about the words that were in the piece as well and wanted to evoke the feeling of warmth, joy, and love that so many need, especially right now. I used warm colors and built up layer upon layer of triangles in the shades of red and orange. I incorporated marks that I found in the hair of the person and also in some of the small colorful beads.
Link 4: Warm Apple Pie, marker on paper submitted by Robin Kahn
Artist Reflection: When I saw the artwork sent, I imagined lots of warm homes. The red triangles reminded me of homes. I used warm colors and thought that gifting or sharing warm apple pies is something that seems to embrace the idea of caring. I’ve wanted to carve out some time to create a zentangle, and this was a great opportunity. It found it meditative and a nice break from a day when I would otherwise have been on Zoom and responding to emails.
Link 5: Nourishing Shelter, paper mosaic submitted by Sophie Krentzman (in collaboration with her mom, Carol)
Artist Reflection: When I saw the previous drawing of a warm apple pie, I got to thinking about how apples not only nourish people as food but they also contain their own means of regeneration (seeds) that create trees that can shelter people and also produce more food for nourishment. Also in this hard time, the fact that apples, like human beings, hold the ability to adapt and reinvent themselves felt like a powerful reminder of our own resilience.
Link 6: “Home is where the heart is” submitted by Ashley B.
Artist Reflection: I was inspired by the tree with the center being a heart. It reminded me that for many creatures in the world, a trunk of a tree is their home. I imagined little baby squirrels all snuggled up with their mamma in the hole of the tree. We created a safe, supporting and loving home during the pandemic for our family. Our home was our sanctuary; kept us safe, sane, loved and snuggled like squirrels.
Note: This chain was started with a submitted community response to the prompt: How have you cared for others or how others have cared for you during these challenging times? The artists did NOT see the reflections written by the previous artist, only the image of the work and the title. The reflections were revealed only when the chain was complete. The six links in the chain are intended to offer a creative way to connect and offset the six feet of physical distance we need to keep from each other in order to care for each other.
Feeling inspired? Create your own artistic response to this chain and share on instagram #translationsart.