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Donna McGee
Artist
COVID Chronicles
The pandemic has affected us all in different ways. Mine is to paint my way out of the complex emotions I feel. These paintings are a result of my unease.
#1 Trying to Impose Order
acrylic and ink, 22" x 13"
It’s April 2020 and I really needed to escape into a painting. We had been weeks now into a total shutdown. I had no particular idea in mind; I just had to put paint to paper. So I chose some favorite colours and began.
I had a plan for the yellow-orange. It went awry. In response it seemed to need some contrast, which is where the dark blue came in. As I was painting, it occurred to me that this was a visual example of how I was responding to the COVID crisis.
During our lockdown I saw that the numbers of afflicted and dead just kept getting worse and I was getting depressed, wondering when, or even if, we could get it under control, fully aware that we were in this for the long haul because I have an inkling of the complexity of the research necessary into developing a vaccine. A silver lining that gave me hope was that there seemed to be global cooperation trying to understand this new disease and everything related to this menace took priority everywhere in the larger scientific and medical communities.
Back to my painting. The yellow-orange can be seen as the spreading virus – major concentrations and little blobs of infection. The dark clouds could be my emotions. I so wanted to see and hug my children. But, being an artist, I looked at the composition and saw that it needed to be brought under control and realized that that was exactly what the authorities were asking of us to keep the virus under some sort of control. Enter the geometry!
The circles were, of course, the family bubbles, the front-line worker bubbles, etc. The lines were the goal posts of flattening the curve.
It’s April 2020 and I really needed to escape into a painting. We had been weeks now into a total shutdown. I had no particular idea in mind; I just had to put paint to paper. So I chose some favorite colours and began.
I had a plan for the yellow-orange. It went awry. In response it seemed to need some contrast, which is where the dark blue came in. As I was painting, it occurred to me that this was a visual example of how I was responding to the COVID crisis.
During our lockdown I saw that the numbers of afflicted and dead just kept getting worse and I was getting depressed, wondering when, or even if, we could get it under control, fully aware that we were in this for the long haul because I have an inkling of the complexity of the research necessary into developing a vaccine. A silver lining that gave me hope was that there seemed to be global cooperation trying to understand this new disease and everything related to this menace took priority everywhere in the larger scientific and medical communities.
Back to my painting. The yellow-orange can be seen as the spreading virus – major concentrations and little blobs of infection. The dark clouds could be my emotions. I so wanted to see and hug my children. But, being an artist, I looked at the composition and saw that it needed to be brought under control and realized that that was exactly what the authorities were asking of us to keep the virus under some sort of control. Enter the geometry!
The circles were, of course, the family bubbles, the front-line worker bubbles, etc. The lines were the goal posts of flattening the curve.
#2 A Bit of Freedom
acrylic and ink, 22" x 15"
We’re now somewhere around the end of May or the beginning of June 2020 and some restrictions were lifted. Same urge-to-throw-some-paint. I tried again with pouring an S-curve, but again, it took a bit of a detour. But this one was serendipitous, and my S-blob looked like a skateboarder or surfer. There’s an exuberance to the form that suggested that some gold paint might be in order. Of course, control is still needed, hence the continued use of geometry. But the mood is more upbeat, so I used purple for contrast. This is where I introduce my scribble shading, a type of doodling I’ve been doing for years, but have seldom used in any paintings.
We’re now somewhere around the end of May or the beginning of June 2020 and some restrictions were lifted. Same urge-to-throw-some-paint. I tried again with pouring an S-curve, but again, it took a bit of a detour. But this one was serendipitous, and my S-blob looked like a skateboarder or surfer. There’s an exuberance to the form that suggested that some gold paint might be in order. Of course, control is still needed, hence the continued use of geometry. But the mood is more upbeat, so I used purple for contrast. This is where I introduce my scribble shading, a type of doodling I’ve been doing for years, but have seldom used in any paintings.
#3 Waves and Contagion
acrylic and ink, 22" x 13"
It’s summer and we’re told that there will be a second and possibly a third or more waves. Bummed. I painted some green arcs on the paper. These shapes seemed to need a calligraphic touch. But way more geometry was needed! So I brought in the two other secondary colours, appropriate, I thought if we got a second[ary] wave.
Let’s not open too much if we’re expecting another one!
It’s summer and we’re told that there will be a second and possibly a third or more waves. Bummed. I painted some green arcs on the paper. These shapes seemed to need a calligraphic touch. But way more geometry was needed! So I brought in the two other secondary colours, appropriate, I thought if we got a second[ary] wave.
Let’s not open too much if we’re expecting another one!
#4 Bubbles and Spread
acrylic and ink, 15" x 11"
Things were so much more complex. Our neighbors to the south were seemingly out of control with the virus, political situation, and social unrest. I was happy that the protests about social inequality were world-wide and that this time, change might actually happen, including here. How can we not see the humanity in each other? How could we all have put up with the old ideas that only white men knew what was best for everyone? Most white men I know don’t agree with that either.
I thought that this painting was a mess at first. Later it occurred to me that my urge to outline some of the colour could be compared to contact tracing to try to contain the virus. One of the circles became almost sphere-like, bursting out, unable to stay flat.
Things were so much more complex. Our neighbors to the south were seemingly out of control with the virus, political situation, and social unrest. I was happy that the protests about social inequality were world-wide and that this time, change might actually happen, including here. How can we not see the humanity in each other? How could we all have put up with the old ideas that only white men knew what was best for everyone? Most white men I know don’t agree with that either.
I thought that this painting was a mess at first. Later it occurred to me that my urge to outline some of the colour could be compared to contact tracing to try to contain the virus. One of the circles became almost sphere-like, bursting out, unable to stay flat.
#5 Vaccine Promise
acrylic and ink, 15" x 11"
This was done in tandem with the previous painting. Bringing my concerns to our local situation, we were in the throes of mounting cases. But vaccines were in the testing phases and provided some more hope. Here again, I worked on the design aspects of the painting and only later noticed that my symbolism referred to the images we were seeing of vaccine production and injections. The triangle with the point stopping in the centre of the gold circle turned into an injection bullseye.
This was done in tandem with the previous painting. Bringing my concerns to our local situation, we were in the throes of mounting cases. But vaccines were in the testing phases and provided some more hope. Here again, I worked on the design aspects of the painting and only later noticed that my symbolism referred to the images we were seeing of vaccine production and injections. The triangle with the point stopping in the centre of the gold circle turned into an injection bullseye.
#6 Second Wave Funk
mixed media, 22" x 15"
January and February 2021. We’re in a second wave. This one took a while to get under control and the gold inking took forever to do. The painting reads from left to right, like writing. We were in winter (the white) and I was looking forward to spring (the green). Between was the distribution of vaccines (the yellow). The red, as the wild colour, is the virus. Taking up more of the winter area, but continuing into spring, as the variants were emerging. The gold and white lines referred to travelling, people moving about, spreading the virus around. But optimistically, there was less red in the green!
January and February 2021. We’re in a second wave. This one took a while to get under control and the gold inking took forever to do. The painting reads from left to right, like writing. We were in winter (the white) and I was looking forward to spring (the green). Between was the distribution of vaccines (the yellow). The red, as the wild colour, is the virus. Taking up more of the winter area, but continuing into spring, as the variants were emerging. The gold and white lines referred to travelling, people moving about, spreading the virus around. But optimistically, there was less red in the green!
#7 Variants
mixed media, 22" x 15"
It wasn’t looking good. March into April, the third wave. The variants were exploding exponentially, as they said. Scary stuff. So I used some very strong opposite colours and realized afterwards that I had spread them everywhere. It was hard to regain control of this one, mimicking our situation in the real world, albeit without the drama. After all, I could have just torn up the paper. But the gold here is for the medical staff fighting this madness, keeping our sick alive and giving them hope for a return to health.
It wasn’t looking good. March into April, the third wave. The variants were exploding exponentially, as they said. Scary stuff. So I used some very strong opposite colours and realized afterwards that I had spread them everywhere. It was hard to regain control of this one, mimicking our situation in the real world, albeit without the drama. After all, I could have just torn up the paper. But the gold here is for the medical staff fighting this madness, keeping our sick alive and giving them hope for a return to health.
#8 And What are the Rules Today
mixed media, 22" x 15"
We’re at the end of April 2021. With the public health rules having taken reversals and adjustments over the past month, it has been hard to keep up with what we are allowed to do and not allowed to do according to public health directives. And there are other experts who have been calling for other measures such as installing air-purifiers in classrooms to protect more people. It must be so difficult to find the equilibrium between the physical health, mental health, safety of the vulnerable and economic health of all our citizens.
In this painting the circles refer to the vaccination roll-out—those groups lucky enough to have had at least one shot. We can still get sick but will not have as severe illness. The disease and variants are there as the green and blue colors.
We’re at the end of April 2021. With the public health rules having taken reversals and adjustments over the past month, it has been hard to keep up with what we are allowed to do and not allowed to do according to public health directives. And there are other experts who have been calling for other measures such as installing air-purifiers in classrooms to protect more people. It must be so difficult to find the equilibrium between the physical health, mental health, safety of the vulnerable and economic health of all our citizens.
In this painting the circles refer to the vaccination roll-out—those groups lucky enough to have had at least one shot. We can still get sick but will not have as severe illness. The disease and variants are there as the green and blue colors.
#9 Delta
mixed media, 30" x 15"
At this point at the end of June 2021, we in Québec are doing relatively well – vaccination rate over 70% for the first dose and case numbers are going down as the second doses are coming along. But as things open up, many of us might be forgiven for being a bit hesitant in a once-bitten-twice-shy type of way. We now must deal with the Delta variant, which we are told is much more contagious and serious than even the Alpha variant, which was worse than the original disease. Yikes! It’s as if we still have to collectively hold our breath as it circles the globe, spiraling out from its source in India. This is a really good example of why we all need to help all countries get this thing under control. The lines with my doodling indicate how porous the border controls and quarantining measures are. And although there are right angles indicating control, they keep shifting with each variant, leaving us emotionally disoriented. Should we be excited with the cases finally dropping, or should we be wary because of Delta? Our joy is mitigated.
At this point at the end of June 2021, we in Québec are doing relatively well – vaccination rate over 70% for the first dose and case numbers are going down as the second doses are coming along. But as things open up, many of us might be forgiven for being a bit hesitant in a once-bitten-twice-shy type of way. We now must deal with the Delta variant, which we are told is much more contagious and serious than even the Alpha variant, which was worse than the original disease. Yikes! It’s as if we still have to collectively hold our breath as it circles the globe, spiraling out from its source in India. This is a really good example of why we all need to help all countries get this thing under control. The lines with my doodling indicate how porous the border controls and quarantining measures are. And although there are right angles indicating control, they keep shifting with each variant, leaving us emotionally disoriented. Should we be excited with the cases finally dropping, or should we be wary because of Delta? Our joy is mitigated.
#10 The World is a Petri Dish
mixed media, 22" x 15"
Fourth wave, August to September 2021.
Although here in Québec we’re highly vaccinated (we’ve even got vaccine passports), cases are rising again, with most severe cases overwhelmingly amongst the unvaccinated. But that aside, none of us will get out of this global disaster without the rest of the planet being vaccinated so that the disease can’t spread enough to mutate again and again. Thank you, leaders, for the failure of the COVAX program. Sure, I understand that the world’s leaders are obliged to protect their own populations, but there obviously needed to be some sort of agreement in place to bring the poorer countries on board with the necessary structures to have their populations vaccinated in a timely fashion as well. As of August 31st, there was a newspaper report that yet another multi-mutated and highly contagious variant has been isolated. This one has mutated enough that the current vaccines might not protect against it. Fun stuff.
Here, the blue refers to Delta perhaps, with the red spots the upcoming variants. The orange bars are our increasingly inept attempts to keep control of the pandemic as people begin to become frustrated with the restrictions.
Fourth wave, August to September 2021.
Although here in Québec we’re highly vaccinated (we’ve even got vaccine passports), cases are rising again, with most severe cases overwhelmingly amongst the unvaccinated. But that aside, none of us will get out of this global disaster without the rest of the planet being vaccinated so that the disease can’t spread enough to mutate again and again. Thank you, leaders, for the failure of the COVAX program. Sure, I understand that the world’s leaders are obliged to protect their own populations, but there obviously needed to be some sort of agreement in place to bring the poorer countries on board with the necessary structures to have their populations vaccinated in a timely fashion as well. As of August 31st, there was a newspaper report that yet another multi-mutated and highly contagious variant has been isolated. This one has mutated enough that the current vaccines might not protect against it. Fun stuff.
Here, the blue refers to Delta perhaps, with the red spots the upcoming variants. The orange bars are our increasingly inept attempts to keep control of the pandemic as people begin to become frustrated with the restrictions.
#11 Omicron
acrylic, 22" x 30"
Fifth wave, December 2021- January 2022
What monstrous viruses are we allowing to evolve? Each successive variant from the original has been more and more contagious. This wave has been the worst so far, with our health system collapsing, thankfully briefly.
In this painting, we in Quebec had yet another curfew imposed, which is the bronze on the top and the bottom. Our bubbles have necessarily become larger as the schools are back with in-person attendance. Omicron, as the magenta colour(pink), has rendered most of our attempts at control ineffective due to its contagion. What has happened to our empathy and concern for each other? It has become so very hard to understand people and to feel positive about the future.
Fifth wave, December 2021- January 2022
What monstrous viruses are we allowing to evolve? Each successive variant from the original has been more and more contagious. This wave has been the worst so far, with our health system collapsing, thankfully briefly.
In this painting, we in Quebec had yet another curfew imposed, which is the bronze on the top and the bottom. Our bubbles have necessarily become larger as the schools are back with in-person attendance. Omicron, as the magenta colour(pink), has rendered most of our attempts at control ineffective due to its contagion. What has happened to our empathy and concern for each other? It has become so very hard to understand people and to feel positive about the future.
#12 No!
watercolour and ink, 22" x 15"
Sixth wave pending, March 2022, two years in…
Omicron is being replaced by the BA.2 variant. But that seems to be the least of our worries. Putin’s insanity is causing horrifying loss of life and displacement of millions of people leaving the world trying to figure out how to deal with such an unhinged ruler with way too much power.
This followed our local insanity with the month-long Ottawa siege by a minority of truckers and their assorted sympathizers who have gone so far down their insular information silos that they believe that Canada is a fascist country! We happen to be amongst the top, what, five to seven countries for personal freedoms and safety? Unfortunately, that protest triggered similar ones around the world. This pandemic has affected the mental health of way too many of us.
Here, the colours are muted, reflecting my mood. Like many others, I feel powerless in the face of all our challenges: the recurrent waves of the pandemic, Putin’s war, and the climate crisis, which is facing a huge backward movement due to all the bombs and destruction in Ukraine. Restrictions are being lifted to almost no restrictions in much of the world while the virus continues to mutate.
The splotches of black ink refer to the bombing, the detached, narrowly spaced lines indicate the few remaining restrictions like doctors asking us to keep our masks on (no argument here!).
Sixth wave pending, March 2022, two years in…
Omicron is being replaced by the BA.2 variant. But that seems to be the least of our worries. Putin’s insanity is causing horrifying loss of life and displacement of millions of people leaving the world trying to figure out how to deal with such an unhinged ruler with way too much power.
This followed our local insanity with the month-long Ottawa siege by a minority of truckers and their assorted sympathizers who have gone so far down their insular information silos that they believe that Canada is a fascist country! We happen to be amongst the top, what, five to seven countries for personal freedoms and safety? Unfortunately, that protest triggered similar ones around the world. This pandemic has affected the mental health of way too many of us.
Here, the colours are muted, reflecting my mood. Like many others, I feel powerless in the face of all our challenges: the recurrent waves of the pandemic, Putin’s war, and the climate crisis, which is facing a huge backward movement due to all the bombs and destruction in Ukraine. Restrictions are being lifted to almost no restrictions in much of the world while the virus continues to mutate.
The splotches of black ink refer to the bombing, the detached, narrowly spaced lines indicate the few remaining restrictions like doctors asking us to keep our masks on (no argument here!).
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