During the pandemic my church group, the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Santa Rosa, knowing they were closing for more than a year, decided to display art in their front windows. Not being a typical church building, at one time it was a theater downtown, it has windows that face the street. The administrator asked if I had some paintings to show. I thought, great, I have been working on a project of endangered animals. I’d love the opportunity to show them to the walking public.
For the past ten months my paintings plus those of two other artists have been enjoyed by those walking by. This next week we are going to change the display and I will hang more animals on the list. A red Panda, who is as small as a cat, Bluefin Tuna swirling in the blue, a couple of Polar Bears moaning, several Lady Bugs roaming a geranium leaf, and a Karner Blue Butterfly hovering over its favorite flowers will displace those there now. The major cause of extinction is the loss of habitat. Insects like the wild, open spaces which are disappearing as we, humans, build our houses and farm huge expanses of land.
This is a watercolor.
Chlele Gummer, Author & Artist 