Quaranzine: Issue 3

Quaranzine: A collection of creative works from our community

Quaranzine: Issue 3

April 29, 2020
Quaranzine is a collection of creative works from the community that documents how we responded to this strange time we find ourselves in.

Previous Issues

Issue 1
Issue 2

Click on the image to see it full size.

painting of sunflowers with a person climbing a ladder — Aicy Karbstein, Leonardtown, “Escaping the Quarantine” – An Expressionist painting by Aicy Karbstein, expressing the wish to get out of the house and go out into the world, after staying in self-isolation during the COVID-19 and having “cabin fever”. The outdoors seem so big and wide, and we feel that our world has shrunk to the size of our house or apartment, that there is a feeling of struggling to get out and reconnect with the outside world. Acrylics on Reclaimed Wood, 22”Hx9.75”Wx0.75”D.

A black and tan cat looking at the camera with top of laptop visible — Andrew Ponti, Leonardtown, “Our New Boss” – At our weekly “staff meeting” with our 14 year old tortoiseshell feline and new office manager, Jade. She frequently makes sure that we’re on task while we work from home with only a touch of “tortitude”. She frequently loves to have “working lunches” where she is the center of attention, as usual!

drawing of a woman in a red and white dress with yellow hair and popcorn behind her — Lily Belle McDowell, Great Mills, “Polly Popcorn” – My drawing is a girl inspired by popcorn, who is named Polly Popcorn. Her every quality has the known traits of the delicious snack. This was super fun to create!

PANDEMICALLY SPEAKING Pandemically speaking We’re globally one Doesn’t matter the beginning It matters when we’ve won It matters the process Of neighbors and friends Being able to provide For their families and then Removing the masks Of pre-judging and blame We all inhabit this earth Basically, all want the same We should feed the hungry Provide for the poor Let none go homeless Who want their own door Reasonable insurance For everyone too We’re all in this together Must be something we can do See, pandemically speaking We’re globally one Doesn’t matter the beginning Only matters when we’ve won ** Dorothy Waters — Dorothy Waters, “Pandemically Speaking” – As global neighbors, we’re all in this together.

a woman sitting surrounded by a cat, a doll, lava lamp, and Just Breathe it will all be okay — Sara Cooper, Aquasco, “Just Breathe” – As we face this difficult period of isolation, it’s important for all of us to take care of our mental health. During the pandemic, meditation can be a great technique to take into practice– as it helps calm and stabilize emotions. Hopefully, this piece will serve as a reminder to the audience to *breathe*. The trying times we are currently facing are only temporary and before we know it, all of us will be able to return to our normal way of living. Until then, together we should remain patient and stay safe.

Perspective By: Brandon Russell Driving my dog to the vet this week was an experience. Like others, I hadn’t left the house in days. Not even to go to the grocery store. The last time I had been anywhere other than my house was when I went to work. Even there, I worked alone in the office for eight hours a day while everyone else worked from home. No change seemed apparent, other than my being the only person in the office. Rural backroads don’t often have high traffic levels, so the fact that I didn’t see anyone on the roads wasn’t as jarring for me as it may have been for someone else. Having checked that I had necessary supplies—wallet, phone, car keys, mask, sanitizer—the pup and I hopped in the car and started our journey. Driving along 235 through Mechanicsville and Charlotte Hall, I did notice the lack of traffic. Though, those still on the road were driving faster than the speed limit and with seemingly no regard for the rest of the us. I found myself taken aback—were they going faster than normal or was I just experiencing it differently? Was I driving slower, like a new driver just adjusting to the rules of the road, the handling of the car? Did I forget what it felt like to travel at 60 miles per hour? Passing businesses, nothing seemed abnormal. Cars in the parking lot, lights on, business as usual. Or so it seems. I broke off into a thought wormhole at this point. Would this be like coming upon a ghost town that still portrayed itself as active? Cars would be parked outside of homes and businesses giving the impression that everything was operating as normal when, in all reality, it was not. So what if the drive-thru lines at fast food joints were wrapped around the building—even a pandemic can’t stop some from getting their Chick-Fil-A. Sophia, the French Bulldog copilot to my left, took notice of none of these changes. She was too busy eyeballing the passing cars and buildings whipping past the window (surely I can’t be going THAT slow?) faster than she can figure out what they are. She seemed unaffected and happy to go for a car ride—she loves meeting new people. Things are, I told her, much different than they seem. As she experienced new sights, so did I. Roadwork crews were out performing their jobs, in the open air and without the sought after masks we’ve all been committing to our new normal. Was this okay? Was THIS normal? The thought blinked through my head faster than I had time to consider it and was replaced by another: Could I be happy to see the workers? Normally road work is met with groans and negativity as it adds additional time to your travel plan. Now, I found myself thankful to see them because it meant they had jobs, were continuing to work. Suddenly they weren’t an inconvenience—they were providing a much needed public service. Perspective can change even a routine experience. — Brandon Russell, Leonardtown, “Perspective” – How you experience a situation is dictated by the perspective you bring to it. With life having changed so drastically within such a short time frame we are provided with many opportunities to re-experience old situations in a new way. That is a gift.

Photo of skyscrapers in New York City — Joanna Macaulay, Ridge, “We Weep for You New York City” – I visited New York City during Thanksgiving week in 2019 to sing with the Trinity Episcopal Church Choir from St. Mary’s City at Carnegie Hall. While there, a friend and I walked in Central Park where I took this photo. It was a brisk cool afternoon and we were surrounded by skyscrapers. We couldn’t have imagined the terrible fate that would befall the city and the World several months later. I’ve read that artists are helping to spread some hope throughout the city.

photo of a quilt in cream, green, blue, pink — Danyel Baile, Leonardtown, “Quilt” – I finally finished my first quilt. It’s a Queen sized quilt using hand cut blocks (5”x6”) including a cream block that is two parts, a cream backing with a lace overlay. I started this quilt over twenty years ago while I was in college just learning to sew. Suddenly graduation, marriage, career, then having my four kids took over and it got tucked away never having been finished. It sat in a garbage bag with a completed top just batting, and backing basted with close pins for all that time. During the quarantine I saw it in my attic and realized I had the time and energy to finish it, creating an heirloom (hopefully) for my babies to pass down. It’s far from perfect but I love it and it was a great learning experience. The last step will be creating the label that will include the night time saying between my kids and I every night before bed. Took over 20 years start to finish but it was worth it.

Nate Schumacher, Leonardtown, “Clay Pot Pinch Monster” – A clay pinch pot formed into a monster by Nate, age 6.

paracord dog collar — Lori Miller, Mechanicsville, “Dog Collar” – This is a handmade Paracord dog collar for your best friend.

two red stickers on the floor encouraging social distancing — Frank Roth, Waldorf, “The New 2 Step Dance Step” – The new way to stand in line at our retailers.

multiple zebras — Bernard Matus, Leonardtown, “Zebra” – Part of Portfolio on Prey and Predator.