This all started out with a zoom call, a new way to hang out with your friends during a pandemic and a state-wide quarantine. We chatted and talked about our stresses and what we were going to do with our free time, with no end in sight. I had told my friends I wanted to paint more and they suggested I mailed it to them. Coincidentally I had watercolor postcards ready to be used, and the typical postcard size is 4 x 6 which would make these paintings much smaller than what I was used to. But if you know me I enjoy little things, whether it is a small candle or little picture frame (which I sent this same group of friends for Christmas), small things are what I enjoy so why not paint small!
Over the next week, I painted five postcards for each of my friends. It took me a while to come up with what I was going to paint each of them but in the end, they were perfect. For Eva, I painted her an avocado toast with an egg on top, in memory of one of our favorite spots in Columbia, MO Kaldi's coffee, which had the absolute best avocado toast. I still think about that toast to this day. It also represented a memory we had our last year living together in college when she accidentally cut her finger open while trying to cut avocado for her avocado toast. I had to drive her to urgent care and she received three stitches, I later cut those stitches out for her to save the trip back to the doctors (we lived in frugal times back then).
For Alex, I painted the Oscar Meyer Wienermobile because at the time her employment as a Hotdogger was cut short. She had spent the last year driving around the United States in the wiener mobile spreading cheer to the country in the form of hotdogs. I could see how rewarding this adventure had been for her as well as fun for me, as her friend who had received many rides in that wiener mobile. I wanted to give her something to memorialize her experiences even in a small gesture as a painted postcard.
For Brooke, I painted three polaroids that had images of our trip to Lake Tahoe. Brooke is a creative and adventurous spirit and had enjoyed taking photos with her disposable camera the last few exciting events we went to. Since there would be no more exciting events to look forward to I chose to recognize our past adventure through polaroids.
For Caroline, I painted her a bookshelf with all of her favorite books. She had recently begun her masters at Depaul in writing and publishing. Since the state-mandated quarantine, her classes went online. I wanted to give her a painting to honor her love of reading and remind her as to why she took a step into a daunting future of getting her masters. I added Pascal the chameleon from the movie Tangled not only because it is her favorite Disney character but also as a connection between our shared (yet separate) experience of working for Walt Disney in the Disney College Program.
For Teryn, I painted her companion and best friend Penny Lane - her sweet adorable golden retriever. I had many memories I could have chosen with Teryn for her painting such as the summer we lived together in a house that was falling apart, or the concerts and performances we went to together, or the weekends we spent at her lake house. None of those better signified our friendship than my memories when I was with Teryn and Penny. Penny brings Teryn so much joy and comfort and that made me so happy as her friend.
These postcards meant so much more than choosing the perfect painting to represent my friends. It meant a connection that I so deeply needed with them. We were isolated from not only each other but the world and not knowing when that was going to end it was a daunting feeling. I felt alone and helpless. Recognizing that we were all experiencing the same isolation made that time a little easier. Having the outlet to paint and take time to think about those cherished memories was a way I could honor them.
The best part was putting a stamp on the back of the painting, rubbing the artwork with a waterproof sealant, writing each of their addresses, and placing them in the mailbox. This may seem silly but the act of mailing each postcard across the country so that they could receive the art piece I made in honor of our memories connected us during a time we could not physically see each other.
You may have sent and received letters from friends during quarantine, which for my generation seems like it was nonexistent before now. For me, words are not my friends and it seemed intimidating to write down what those memories meant to me in the last few years. I found a way to share that with those that I love through these watercolor postcards. I hope this inspires you to find the best way for you to honor your experiences during good times and tough times.
Happy Painting :)
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