April 20: Notes From the Field
Quaranzine is a weekly collection of creative works from the Arlington community that documents how we responded to this strange time we find ourselves in. Submit your own work.
Sierra Barnes, "Quarantiger" - Week four of quarantine has us all feeling like trapped tigers, I think.
Rachel Clark, "2020" - In my poem, "2020," I describe the strange arrival of the simpler life I've been embracing in these harder times. The worst HAS come. Priorities are reordered. Complaints and false alarms recede. Suddenly, all is still. What do we hear?
Nico Felsenheld, "Emotional Support NPR Host" - When I'm feeling stressed I like to listen to Ira Glass's soothing voice on "This American Life". It's usually a place of escape for me, but now they're focusing so much on the pandemic and crisis around that in this podcast too. Is my place of comfort being destroyed, or should I be reassured that my fears are normal? I just want Ira Glass to reassure me with that nice, smooth voice of his.
Rashmi Dighe, "Journal Entry" - A short poem reflecting on the current state of affairs.
Sabina Beg, "Also First Responders" - The hard working staff at our local Harris Teeter (Lee Harrison) inspired me to write this poem.
David Stanley, "Stuck Inside" -This image represents the angel in everyone that feels they are in a dark place looking outside their abode.
Lisa Busch, "Stocker" - A poem in praise of those who stock the shelves in supermarkets during this pandemic.
Beth Skubis, "Coronate" - Collage in tetradic color scheme.
Andrew Henderson, "Abby and Matt's House" - A painterly, slightly abstract work that presents a happy home but also I consider some contrasts in life...such as: success vs. happiness; loneliness vs. togetherness, etc. Analogous complementary color scheme emphasizing the red roofs. The focal point is the lower left black window with white trim. What is inside there? What are the people like? What do they do? Are those flowers in the upstairs window?
Enid Chiu, "If I Weren't Quarantined" - An artistic depiction of ways I would be spending my time under different circumstances. Social distancing saves lives, but that doesn't prevent our imaginations from taking us other places.
John Conroy, "Sanitize Your Hands" - Postcard, after being sent to a friend (Arlington Public Library's Michael Nelson!)
Liz Matthews, "Quarantine Birthday Serenade" - Our daughter had her 10th birthday on April 2nd. No party for her this year; we celebrated as a family at home as best we could. Some friends made it extra special by singing Happy Birthday to her in fun costumes, from out on the sidewalk; my husband took a video and captured this screenshot
Paul Cress, "The Emperor's Fountain Pen" - I make pens at home in my shop and also enjoy the product photography for my own marketing and online store. Throughout this quarantine period, I've been making a lot of pens and I feel like I've been rediscovering the natural beauty of the wood burls and wood grain after turning so many acrylic pens in the months prior. This pen is called the Emperor Fountain and it's made with a beautiful piece of Kingwood from Brazil. The rich color of the wood, details of the close-up nib, and embellishment on the cap on the black reflective surface create a very classy image.
Danica Gonzalves, "Divided Unity" - This poem looks at the reaction of governments and people to the outbreak and the need to stand together.
Melanie Roberts, "Oreo" - In the midst of these strange and challenging times, our pets give us unconditional love and support. They encourage socialization—however distant—and give us love and affection. Oreo is cuddly and sweet; this drawing shows his calm demeanor and pleasant personality.
Chloe Irla, "Flock: Social Distance" - This drawing was in response to witnessing flocks of geese fly above my house where my family has been socially distancing since mid-March. Do the geese know what's going on below? When I struggle with the isolation, I look to these geese maintaining their regular daily patterns for hope. We'll get there again soon.
Lowell Rosen, "Minnesota Hot Dish Recipe" - This is my mother's recipe, a true Minnesotan. She is a very active senior of 104 years old in Perham MN. She recently was awarded an honorary HS diploma; received the State of Minnesota Award for aging gracefully; and was interviewed on a local radio program. She sends her best wishes to stay healthy and survive the virus. She survived the flu epidemic of 1918, but lost her uncle.
Brooke Lacock-Nisly, "Many Ways of Coping" - As I'm generally a home-body, I've been opting for using all this down time to make things that bring me joy! Chocolate muffins *oven bings*, crochet projects, drawing, these doodles, etc. I've found myself saying... I was made for this! But then I realized the gender stereotype that "a woman's place is in the home" (which is sexist). While recognizing the gender stereotypes that lead me to my hobbies, I'm reclaiming my space in the home as a person who likes to be there--I mean look at the picture, I'm really am taking up the whole living room. Have a nice walk husband, I'll try that some day!
Madison Bolls, "Gaia" - Made in quarantine:
mixed media on canvas
14x10.75"
Sarah Lilius, "Mask or No Mask" - I'm a poet and stay at home mother living in the Fairlington neighborhood. This poem is about the pandemic and how it alters us in different ways.
Michael O'Harro, "Washington Nationals Scrapbook" - I was in the sports bar business before I retired in c1991 and I have a large collection of sports memorabilia. I also miss my Washington Nationals Baseball. So what I have been doing is organizing my collection and with the use of my scanner and printer creating images for montages and gluing them in scrapbooks. This is a great hobby when you are alone in the Man Cave, I am a bachelor, during this time of Social Distancing. I encourage everyone to consider scrapbooking as a distraction especially if you have bored children and grandchildren!
Suzie Taylor, "Corona Spider" - If Louise Bourgeois was alive, I think she would supply a mask and blue plastic gloves to her Spider residing at the National Gallery of Art in Wash DC. This is a 5X7 canvas using acrylic, cloth and bits of a plastic glove.
Tricia Mirchandani, "Chocolate Chip Cookie Muffin Recipe" - This is one of my go-to recipes. It's simple, requires few utensils, and comes together in about a half-hour. Baking these in a muffin tin encourages more of the outside to brown while also creating a thicker middle. This means a much better crunchy outside to soft, cakey inside ratio.
Hannah Portner, "Springing Positivity During Quarantine" - This picture is of bright pink flowers which I think really highlights positivity and happiness which can make people smile during this time knowing that they should keep their chin up and stay happy.
Kelsey Reed, "Quarantine Limerick"
Jennifer Beinhacker, "What Does the Future Hold in Times of Crisis? - "Mixed media on wood: acrylic paint, metallic paint, tarot cards, sharpie pen, stamps
12"" X 24"
The turning point of a disease when an important change takes place, indicating either recovery or death; physically, economically, leadership, organizational misdeeds .
Now, in this age of Covid 19, is a crisis point of history.
Soon we will be at the zero hour point of no return. I fear for our humanity, for our future.
Jacqueline Acker, "Still Life With Toilet Paper" - This was a 6”x6” acrylic on canvas piece I made to raise money for the coronavirus response. It is cheeky, but also representative of one of the items that has oddly come to symbolize the systemic issues coronavirus has revealed.
Sarah Strunk, "Sarah Strunk's Regiment For Not Going Absolutely Insane" - I made this watercolor for some friends who were feeling overwhelmed and wondered what I was doing to stay grounded and calm. The act of reflecting and water coloring was therapeutic in it of itself for me and I knew it could also help others to feel not so alone.
Stephen D'Alessio, "Our Cocoon" - A short poem about productivity stress in a difficult time for our community.
Angelina Jones, "Escape" - Inspired by William Hodges's painting "Ice Islands with Resolution and Adventure" during an antarctic expedition. Hodges and other travel journalists' writings have allowed me to explore while staying at home.
Carl Gold, "When the Rabbit Hopped Over the Moon" - I write songs. They can be read as poems, or you can make up your own melodies and sing them. This one has suggested guitar chords.
Diane Kresh - Some things remain constant.
The next deadline for submissions to Quaranzine is Thursday, April 23
I LOVE this!! Thank you!!
I love what people are doing in their spare time. The artwork, poetry, photography are all enjoyable. I loved the watercolor of the woman taking over her living room and doing what she enjoys while her husband goes for a walk. We all have our own ways of coping. I love being outside in my garden and taking walks and breathing fresh air.
How lovely! We all have time to be creative now.