acrylic and watercolor; 12×18”

“Exposed. Unpredictable. Disconnected. Isolated. Vulnerable. This painting captures my sense of being overwhelmed with emotion since COVID-19 came to the US. I have tried to “hold” and “contain” my students’ feelings of helplessness and fear, the struggles of family and friends, yet the virus contains us all and I am unsure how to comfort people. Each day, like you, I strive to balance the ups and downs of social isolation as we ride the COVID-19 wave. And then I think about the future. Will I be able to see my students this fall? Can my art therapy groups run again? When can I travel to see my brother on the West Coast? Simple questions I had never previously considered. Creating art has been my container for my feelings, and for now is the only way I can contain COVID-19.”

ARTIST BIO: Meera Rastogi is a licensed psychology, board certified and registered art therapist, and a certified group psychotherapist. She is professor of psychology and art therapy at the University of Cincinnati.