Border Patrol

Border Patrol is actually 2 pieces of art in one. The base piece is an alcohol ink done on a piece of 12”x12” graphix synthetic paper. The second piece of art is a 12”x12” acrylic panel. I placed the panel over the alcohol ink and traced around some of the edges of the ink drawing below it with a white posca paint pen. The acrylic panel is about 1/8” thick the lines threw shadows down to the alcohol ink painting below, giving the piece some depth and legitimate shadows. As I worked, I accidentally bumped the acrylic panel so that the lines didn’t line up perfectly with every part of the ink painting below. As you can see here, some areas line up and some do not. At first, I was upset with myself for not being more careful while doing this process. So, I stopped for the night and came back in with fresh eyes the next morning. When I looked at it, I realized the imperfection was perfect! I absolutely loved it! Then some ideas about what were going through my heart, mind, and soul at that time started to form. But more on that later…

I finished drawing my lines and then let both pieces sit for a few days in order to let the posca pen paint cure fully. I then wondered how on earth I would ever mount such a piece in a frame or sell it. It will need to be framed carefully as well as the worry that the white lines on the acrylic panel don’t line up. Whoever buys this original set will have to decide. It will be in the eyes of the beholder as to how it gets framed and sealed. Then I started wondering how on earth I would scan such a piece. It required 4 scans and then stitching together in Photoshop. This took quite a while and I had to be so careful to keep these two pieces lined up in the same way between each of the 4 scans. I figured out a system to do it and it was a success. I’m so happy about this! I did not think it would be possible for this one to work out, but it did.

Now to the story that formed in my mind as I realized the lines did not line up with the painting beneath. It’s human nature to create borders, whether it’s white vs black, young vs old, male vs female, protestant vs catholic, mask-wearer vs non mask-wearer … whatever vs whatever. We create these borders. If someone is not exactly like us (whether looks or fundamental beliefs) then we create a border around ourselves. These borders are always superficial, at best. We deny ourselves the experience of true community by not experiencing someone else that may not look or think like we do. We deny ourselves an experience of living life to the fullest. We deny ourselves of living in the moment. We were never meant to lock ourselves away into social groups or ethnic groups, or religious groups…or whatever groups. This again denies us the experience and connection of our fellow human beings. It’s heartbreakingly sad and definitely unhealthy to our souls. God did not create us to live in a vacuum. He created humanity to reach out to Him and to love one another. We are meant to experience one another as we go through life. Daily, hourly, minute-by-minute. Self-imposed isolation is the result if we don’t. COVID is already isolating us enough. Now we have a double whammy. Humans are lonelier and more isolated than ever. I believe in humanity and have faith in our ability to overcome. I pray this will be a healing time of new ideas and ways of bringing us humans together in new and unique ways. That is my deepest hope. Our very lives depend on it.