As we continue to bring you work from the COVID Poetry and Art Project, we’re excited to highlight abstract painter Bettina Brunner. Bettina’s work invites us to think, to question, to interpret and form our own individual responses. In this painting we see vibrant colors interacting in ways both whimsical and deliberate. We see new beginnings and rebirth. We see hope, which is the title of the painting. To Emily Dickinson, “hope is the thing with feathers.” To so many living today, hope is a vaccine. But as we ponder Bettina’s gorgeous, inviting painting, we’re thinking about about the power of hope. There’s a reason Pandora protected hope from escaping (and for more on that Greek myth, check out Alessandra Ricci’s post for the Project). Hope keeps us going. It’s the promise of tomorrow. The belief in light when the world is darkest. Hope isn’t rational. It isn’t scientific. And sometimes, it’s all we have. But it is real.

For more on the COVID Poetry and Art Project, check this out!

Chatting with Bettina

Can you tell us a little about this poem or piece of art and how you came to create it? How has the current crisis (or crises) influenced your art? 

My acrylic painting on canvas, entitled “Hope”, is about optimism and resiliency when confronted with insurmountable challenges.

What role do you think the arts play in times of turmoil and uncertainty? 

More than ever, art is the conduit for processing and distracting us from difficult changes.

What are you viewing/reading/watching/listening to these days?

I cannot recommend the Great Pottery Throw Down more.

Do you have a favorite local writer or artist (DC area)?

It would be hard to choose a favorite since there are so many. I love the boldness of Antonella Manganelli and Alessandra Ricci.

About the Artist

Bettina Brunner is an abstract artist from Reston, Virginia who explores the ambivalence of our times in her work.

www.bettinabrunner.com