This painting started off very differently. I made the initial sketch back in February. Covid-19 didn’t feel like big threat, and things were “normal” in Houston. People drove to their offices, drank at bars, and exercised in gyms.
During this “normal” time, I harbored resentment over mundane things. I wanted control over little things I could not control, and I wanted to make sense of what could not be made sense of. I had a good routine between work and play but I was frustrated. When I looked at my the jungle-like backyard, I saw the chaos I encountered each day reflecting right back at me.
The initial sketch on paper
The painting just before stay-at-home orders were put into place
So I went about drawing a new backyard. I sketched the garden beds and the roofline with hard lines and blurry, cold fills. The scene reflected the order that I both aspired to and resented. It’s cold, bare, and messily calculated.
When I went to transfer the sketch to canvas, I began playing with forced perspective. You may also notice a reference to bases of a baseball field.
By mid-March, Covid-19 went from a distant threat to an emergency. Absurdly, it wasn’t until the Houston Rodeo was shutdown that I began to take the threat seriously. Soon thereafter, the county was put under stay-at-home orders and most everyone retreated to their homes.
And, then it was bleak. Particularly the news from New York, but you know all of this.
My routines changed. I started meditating and revamped my yoga practice. I baked and cooked everyday, and I finally made gluten free sourdough bread. I also spent much more time outside, particularly in our backyard. Spring had arrived and our garden was thriving.
Just as David Hockney wisely said in March, spring would not and could not be canceled.
David Hockney
Do remember they can’t cancel the spring, 2020
As spring arrived in our backyard, my perception of it changed. It became a source of hope. As a result, my painting changed direction.
The painting mid-April
I introduced elements I admired in the garden and abstracted them playfully. I used pink! I made a pattern and lit up the rooftop. While still “messy” and geometric, the linear qualities loosened and became perky rather than frustrating. Spring was not canceled, and it was a great comfort. This painting’s changes reflect that.
As spring melts away and humidity and heat rise, my skin crawls. I am little nervous about the summer. I do not know how we are going to get through the next few months. But, there is always spring to look forward to.
Boston Terrier for scale
There is always spring is available to purchase. Please email me at ereedlee@gmail.com with any questions.
For more David Hockney inspiration and hope: