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The Land of Oz painting is one of the most memorable and special paintings I have ever done. At a time when art collectors were hesitant to spend money, this family decided to do it anyway. They also completely let me have creative freedom which is so appreciated, especially in tense and difficult times. When I paint (pour resin) it is very therapeutic. I cannot control resin. I can only work with resin and learn how it might react based on different seasons or conditions or color pairings. Spending so much time working with resin has taught me a lot about myself. This commission came at such a difficult time where I wasn't sure if anyone would ever purchase art from me again. Land of Oz opened up my creative brain in new ways! From this painting, I went on to create many many products using this artwork. One project being the digital Land of Oz 2020 digital graphic. There is a video attached where I explain the idea, the initial sketch and how that graphic came to life. I also had the opportunity to interview the family that commissioned the Land of Oz painting. She is a nurse and he is an administrator for a local school district. They were throw so many curveballs in their careers in the pandemic. I feel like this family so beautifully portrays so many of the cross sections of the pandemic, it is magical. I attached a few photos of products created using the Land of Oz artwork and the Land of Oz 2020 graphic as well. Lastly, I attached another video titled Mel FF Race. FF stands for Fancy Friday. In April of 2020 I started hopping on IGTV LIVE every Friday with a cute outfit on, a full face of make up and a cocktail in hand. I invited and encouraged others to do the same and join me. Many did! I went on to bring on special guests and talk about their businesses or other relevant topics of the moment. My best friend, Melissa Montes, is a Black woman and we decided to devote a Fancy Friday (maybe 2 or 3) to discussing race after the George Floyd tragedy occurred. This was difficult but therapeutic. She and I did so much soul searching and discussing of important topics during this time.
