MARY QUEEN OF SCOT’s CORONA
In pandemic my friends keep calling & emailing to check on me during “lockdown”; as the most ‘out-every-night’ social woman Seattle they probably assumed I’d go off the deep end. My studio - too often procrastinated - has become a haven of sanity (ok, all that candy I keep out there is also a lure. Yup, I’m doing my part to “Fatten the Curve” as per Fauci)….
Much of my art involves verbiage/puns and assemblage decorating my frames, plus I've always been a fan of classical portraiture (& people in general). The lightbulb moment struck: CORONA obviously means CROWN as well as COVID, so the CORONA QUEENS (all powerful women, another thing the world needs now along with laughs?) series was born.
Tall (6’?), beautiful Mary Stuart’s (1542–1587) life provided tragedy and romance more dramatic than any legend. She ascended to the throne as an infant, but was sent to France for safety at 5, & became Queen Consort at 16, widowed at 18. Returning to Scotland, Mary's heart overcame her head, she married 3 times choosing inappropriate lovers: one murdered the other, another died insane in exile, one kidnapped her and held her hostage. The nobles revolted following her 3rd marriage shortly after her previous husband’s murder, forced abdication to her infant son. Mary fled to England but her cousin Elizabeth’s jealousy, political & religious rivalry (thwarting assassination attempts) resulted in Mary being held in captivity for 19 years before being beheaded.
