In March 2022…

…in retreat from COVID, living in the country and more or less counting blessings, I did not miss the city but I missed friends and began to think if I made paintings for them that would hold us together. I had not painted since applying to the MFA graduate program at UC Irvine 50+ years ago. When the lockdown was over, I kept going, giving a few pieces to old friends, or sometimes painting over them. The first nine were titled Second Spring of Covid #1 - #9. There are now 18 masks, 20 portraits, and 15 animal paintings.