"These past years of Covid created a silence in the world. Engines and industry were stilled, airplanes did not roar overhead nor trucks in the next lane. I could hear the watery mysterious call of the Hermit Thrush deep in the woods, and the cheerful chatter of the goldfinch as they flew by. The quieter it is, the more can be heard, and the stillness creates a new opportunity to contemplate, to move slowly, to look longer, and to listen with patience. I am a solitary person, because for me, the creation of art is a contemplative and strenuous job, best done alone. Each paint stroke is a decision, an idea, a complicated thought process that can be meditative or ecstatic or both.
Much of this work has been done over the past two summers while living alone with my dog Hugo. I paint and he explores the beach or just rests near me. He is a delightful model as well as a dear friend. This group of work, however, is less exuberant than my previous pieces. I believe the shift reflects the somber mood of the world. So despite the fact I am blessed to live on an island surrounded by beauty, echoes of the world's troubles appear in these paintings."
Brita Holmquist
