So things have got really weird really fast. I am shocked, so shocked that I just move through my day, pretending everything is fine and that I just do things differently now. I'm not sure where to go with it, but I suspect that this type of shock is some built-in mechanism to keep us going in times of emergency, stress and general confusion.

I know you and your family and every single person in this whole world is dealing with Covid-19 in one way or another. I truly hope that you fare well, stay healthy and do what you can to stay safe and protect each other/protect us all. I hope that people can come out of this with a new appreciation that we are all in this together. I hope that all this enforced isolation does more than teach us how to better use technology. Granted, I am very grateful that we have enough technology to bridge into another lifestyle almost seamlessly.

I am impressed by the quick shifts at stores (grocery lines with stickers on the ground every 6 feet) and online classes (yoga for example) and concerts. Musicians are putting on free concerts all over the internet. Ny husband Sam and his band are recording online and from points across the city. We are resilient.

I did this one just to make me feel good

I have to admit that someone telling me to stay home is license to spend even more time in the studio. I have been working in my studio more hours each day and I love it. I had an epiphany of sorts - even before the covid - that I needed to just have fun and make some paintings merely because it makes me happy. I get so giddy and goofy when certain patterns come together, when vibrant colors come alive. I sat down and said, I'm making this painting just for me. Let me know what you think of this one? Any thoughts on a title? Email me here.

Colors do brighten a day.

So right now, I'd like to share some studio photos, rather than words. I hope to reach out more often. Soon I will have the drawing for a framed print. Everyone who signed up, please stand by. I will announce the winner in the next week!

Here's a reminder - we need beautiful things in our world right now. Art that makes people feel better, inspired, more serene, comforted or just happy to be near, is needed now. I have had a few inquiries and sales now as people are spiffing up their homes for the long haul of "Safer at Home."

Super fun rosy red painting.

So create your space, make some art, love yourself and your family and humankind by being a global citizen who cares about what happens to others. Who would have thought the greatest care would come from distancing ourselves from others physically, but this is where we are. This is where we landed. Please take care of yourself amid the confusion.

Finally, my May show has been cancelled until further notice.

Maureen Maki

www.maureenmaki.com

Lots of Time in the Studio