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"What can I say about this past year? Fear, Stress? Everyone has that. My creativity shut down. I couldn’t even look at my art supplies. I envied the artists who had found a new voice, a renewed surge of creativity born of lockdown. I turned to gardening and cooking like one possessed. I kept this up at a frenetic pace until money and energy ran low. Then just waiting. Waiting for shows, waiting for small commissions to come through to help with the income. Finally started selling off art supplies on eBay. Then hired a marketing company to get my online presence going. To small (too small) effect. Finally toward end of this year I was accepted into Tower Gallery. This group of caring and talented artists refreshed my creativity and my hope. (as did my art sales!) I am finally creating art again. This is good." Anne Schroeder, feather painter
"I began making my series of “Talking Heads” just before the pandemic. I took them into the Tower Gallery on Thursday, March 12th the day that we were supposed to have a reception for one of our artists. Although much smaller and without food, the reception did happen. I sold my first Talking Head that evening, the 2nd one sold on Friday, and the 3rd one on Saturday. We closed the gallery on Monday and it was closed until sometime in June. Working in my studio through the shutdown, I continued to make the Talking Heads –they kept me company in my studio while working alone. In April, while the importance of mask wearing was still being debated, my only living aunt contracted COVID-19 from one of her nurses in the assisted living facility that she had recently moved to. It was soon after that we all began mask wearing and it was thought that it could help with the spread of the virus. My aunt died from COVID 19 in May...would she have not become sick if she and her nurse had been wearing masks? In thinking of the importance of wearing a mask and seeing the images of our health care workers who had been wearing them for hours and hours at a time, it sparked my Talking Head titled “Dr. W.H.O.’s in Charge”. It ceases to seem strange to see everyone wearing masks and I’m sure I’m not alone in thinking it, something that had never occurred to me that would be happening. My Talking Heads in masks are saying,“never forget”."
~ JoAnne Bedient, Raku Artist
"I had been a lap swimmer for years. Due to a shoulder injury 8 years ago I stopped swimming and never started again once my shoulder healed. Well that changed in July thanks to my fellow artist and swimmer Susan Sadler. When the Sanibel Rec Pool opened back up in July Susan and I started meeting at 9:30 three mornings a week. I am now swimming over a mile and feeling great." Marianne Ravenna, Artist of Groovy Bowls and White Line Block Prints
"TARPON" by Marianne Ravenna Hand painted maple wood bowl "Despite the sadness that I feel for all the lives lost and the disruption of life for millions of people, like most full time artists, who work in the seclusion of their studios, I don’t think that my work discipline and daily life has changed much during this pandemic. It has only added an opportunity to delve into more details than before. With that said, I’m so looking forward to a pre-pandemic life once again!" All my best, Shah Hadjeby, Watercolor Artist
"Because of COVID-19 I was isolated at home. As an artist, who works from her home studio, I was forced to stay in my “Happy Place”! I have been creating like crazy and promoting my work on line. Riding my bike and taking a little me time has all been good for the soul. Stay home, take a deep breath and find the positive. “Oliver the Octopus” came to life during COVID. Check him out here on Tower Gallery’s on line Square Foot Show.
Cheers,
Kelly Morrison, painter.
"The "Stay at Home" request has made me realize how much time I wasted going places. This time has allowed me to dig into my work as an artist. I found all I have wanted to paint are FLOWERS happy bright flowers. Facetime has been a blessing for family time, and my swimming buddy Marianne has kept me in shape."
Stay healthy everyone and Happy 2021.
Susan Sadler,Painter
"Since last March, I felt very lucky (and somewhat guilty) that I enjoyed so much peaceful time in my great home studio. I created a lot of artwork and in the beginning of the pandemic, challenged myself to start each day painting/drawing/sewing/pasting a 4" x 6" index card to jumpstart my creative juices. These cards turned into 2 small accordion books that I call "Life on Pause." One of the pieces I made for the books was a painted and stamped paper that became the "chest" in my mixed media piece called "Treasure Chest Fish."
Sally Dutko Fiber Artist
“Home is everything, a safe, comfortable bubble, to shelter and protect me and my family from Covid 19. Anything I could do to make life better at home, keeping everyone happy, tummies full and life a pleasure, that was my goal. Takeout meals can be very disappointing and food boredom sets in pretty quickly at my house. I discovered I love trying out new recipes. I have experimented with some wonderful new dishes, ethnic recipes, new spices and flavors to explore and a passion for Christmas rum cake to share with friends and family. Fabulous recipes available on request:(lalita@lalitacofer.com)cooking dishes like Columbian Coconut Chicken, Tuscan Pepper Beef, Chicken Korma, Orange Lentil Dahl, Vietnamese Pho Soup and Golden Butter Rum Cake just to name a few."
"Every evening the sun setting has become an almost daily ritual and a time to get out in the fresh air and enjoy a stroll on the beach or a nature walk. Where I live in Cape Coral, we have some beautiful parks by the river or through the wooded marshlands and I have found a renewed appreciation for the joys of “A Walk In the Park”."
Lalita Lyon Cofer, Painting with Paper
The Artists of the Tower Gallery would like to sincerely thank our loyal customers for keeping us going through this difficult year and the pandemic of Covid 19. With your continued support through this terrible time our gallery doors are still open and we keep going on "a wing and a prayer". We hope we will continue on for a long time as a home for exceptional art and artists. A heartfelt thank you!