TIME TO STAND AND STARE Original by JAN BASTOW

Wood, cyanotype, acrylic paint, collage
32x21 cm 
 
2020, and our world changed with a global pandemic caused by the Covid 19
virus. It slowed our lives, made us take stock. In the UK people of all ages had
to work from home. Children had to be taught at home by their parents. People
had to isolate and for some, sadly, hospitalised. The death toll rose and our
NHS was overwhelmed. We were fearful, scared.
We took solace in nature. Allocated an hour’s daily walk in the park, we revelled
in the sights and sounds of nature. Those fortunate enough to have gardens had
the time to sit and really absorb the sights and sounds of birds and plants, to
appreciate the natural world which flourished during Lockdowns.
Although the pandemic isn’t over, things are slowly getting back to what we
would consider as normal, the hustle and bustle of life. My ‘Time’ work is a
reminder, inspired by the poet W.H. Davies, that we need to value being in tune
with nature for the good of our mental health and, more globally, climate
change.