(Pandemic) Selfie

Seeing each other – and ourselves on a screen and having an hour or so together within that black frame. Strange and funny at the same time, noticing how people presented themselves, their expressions and settings- what was on their walls, who else was in the room and at the same time I was watching myself.

It was this surreal experience to be a voyeur as well as a participant in the stories that were playing out. And, of course vanity immediately kicks in - how’s my hair look today? Did I remember to put on lipstick like the advice said when I googled how to look good on Zoom? And my own curated space- trying to remember to pull the ratty dishtowel down behind me in the kitchen so it’s not seen on camera. I often meet because I can sit at the counter where the lighting is better, the height of the computer more comfortable- and, closer to the snack cabinet behind me!

And that was it. The idea popped into my head to take screen shots and do paintings from these virtual snapshots. I was working through my own complicated feelings about what was happening outside in the world and I began to feel excited to tell a story- my story during this surreal time.