In my series, “Is This Love?”, I depict extinct animals flying while holding other endangered animals, themselves on the precipice of extinction. I painted these themes in compositions similar to Mark Chagall‘s famous works in which Chagall depicts himself flying while holding his beloved wife, Bella.
I chose these Chagall paintings for inspiration because I wanted to illustrate that same joy, love and hopefulness he is conveying. In “Is This Love? I” an endangered Florida Panther holds an extinct Carolina Parakeet. In “Is This Love?II” an extinct Florida Ivory Billed Woodpecker holds an Iberian Lynx. Chagall escaped the Nazis and was rescued from disaster. I want my art to contribute to a rescue for our world.
My series explores our relationship with animals and is influenced by the book, “Unlikely Friendships,” by Jennifer S. Holland. In that book, Holland shows photos and describes close, nurturing, life-long, family-like, companion relationships between animals of different species, some of which would be predator and prey, given different circumstances.
There is optimism in my art. I want us to question the way we see our relationship with nature and each other and encourage compassion, conservation and stewardship. I hope this happens when we realize we are one; and we each can make a difference in our day-to-day actions. Hopefully we all go and make unlikely friendships with animals and people of various beliefs and backgrounds and work together to save the world and each other.
