By Bri Woods
September 16, 2020
4:23 p.m.
Anne Leith
Forced to stay home in the middle of a lock down across the nation, Rosemont College continues to bring education to students, while maintaining health and safety throughout the pandemic. As students work remotely online for the past three weeks, what is quarantine like for the faculty of the art department?
Most artists across the world would say that they are facing financial and personal struggles from the current pandemic. However, when I spoke with oil painter and studio art professor of Rosemont College, Anne Leith, she expressed the joy of being an artist and how lucky she is to be one. Even though the exhibitions were closed, and there were no models available, Leith did not put a hold on painting. She took this opportunity as an oil painter, to explore, experiment and create some new and amazing pieces, specifically landscapes.
“I really think quarantine gave me more time to focus on my own personal work and have a meaningful time with the painting,” Leith said. “The biggest challenge was that I couldn’t keep a normal schedule, instead it became nocturnal for me. As an artist, we have the advantage because we are used to staying at home, whereas others have to adjust.”
Despite the limits of quarantine, art is flexible, allowing artists to develop goals and become inspired. Even in unexpected situations, art can sometimes enhance or give meaning to the artwork. That said, rather than slowing down her creative process, quarantine gave Leith motivation to experiment with her studio work and dive into a lot of abstract pieces.