12″x13″
acrylic paint, mixed media on paper sculpture

“Vesicles” – The flesh of citrus fruits is divided into segments, further divided into small blisters of juice – the vesicles. I usually sparsely explain my works because I love to leave room for new meanings from audience interpretations.

But this piece is especially topical and symbolic for me. The tiny figures (models from the miniature train hobby, repainted by me) are isolated in their vesicles, like we are isolated in our homes to avoid COVID-19. There is equal parts frustration and loveliness in this piece. Frustration, as in, “if we would all just stay in our vesicles, this could be over….” – and empathy for the loneliness of isolation, expressed in warm pinks.

To my surprise, the piece began to “decay.” Although my reference was a fresh slice of grapefruit, I felt a calling to introduce bluish grays. And the warmth of a heat gun brought burnished oranges. And the flowing wetness of resin seeped into the cracks.

While the pandemic features strongly in the themes of this piece, I think there is a timelessness to it. There is always some degree of isolation in our lives, segmentation, being mashed right up against other people but separated by the walls of our vesicles. May we realize that we’re all part of the same great round grapefruit.

I see this hanging in a kitchen nook for contemplative breakfast moments.