The Covid-19 lockdown of 2020 has had a huge impact on so many of us. As the situation is gradually easing, I have been reflecting upon this unusual time.
This was my view from Arran on 23rd March this year – lockdown day.
This truly has been such a beautiful place to be stuck and there is such a great sense of community spirit here. None the less, it has been an anxious time here, with many of our elderly population shielding and our small businesses closed, with no visitors allowed over from the mainland.
With only 10 days to go before my first solo show of the year, lockdown brought an abrupt end to excitement and preparations. It was not long before the remaining 2 solo shows of the year were also cancelled. Galleries closed and staff were furloughed. A very worrying time.
However, if there is one thing I have learned along the way, whilst we cannot control many things in life, we can control the way we react to them. As I was finding it hard to paint during the first few weeks, and several friends had asked if I would do some online drawing classes for their children and themselves, I bought a phone stand and sought to overcome my fear of being on camera. It was an interesting experience and helped a number of people reconnect with drawing.
If you are interested, you can find these drawing tutorials on YouTube, just search Senja Brendon and you will find my channel.
