2021, the year - reflections via art

After 2020 it was our collective desire to return to normalcy. It was not to be. We had the second wave, then the third wave, and now some talk of the fourth wave. In all of this many lost loved ones, many lost life savings, many had to start all over again, and many still face the daunting prospect to rebuild their lives. I choose the painting in the header from Jeffrey Smart's collection after he had moved to Italy (around 1964). In Rome, Jeffrey Smart was inspired by the atmosphere & context and he left behind the dark tones of his previous work. His style exploded with the rich terracottas, blues, and green of his surroundings. The maze of the past was left behind.

In 2021 humanity found itself in a maze. We have to work our way through this. Extraordinary circumstances demand a special response. We have to rise to the challenge and find our own terracottas, blues, and greens.

It calls for a time of reflection, kindness, and empathy for our people. A small act of giving could restart someone's life journey or just buy someone a certain amount of time to navigate their "maze".

So, here is to 2022 with the wish that travel by air, sea, and land emerges stronger than ever. Lives that were cruelly broken are mended, businesses that closed rise like phoneix - stronger, smarter, and more powerful, and lives that were disrupted get back on track to destinations unknown and beautiful.

I wish you all a very happy, joyous, healthy, and prosperous new year 2022. With that, I leave you another masterpiece from Jeffrey Smart, may your 2022 be as bright and colorful as this painting, and the dark clouds of 2021 are replaced by the beauty of the Tuscan sun in 2022.