"4 West"

Pencil
22 x 30 inches

This drawing was made during the height of the pandemic when I was working as an CTICU nurse in a large NYC hospital. Because of the lockdown, there was not much to do after my 12 hour night shifts, so I spent my free time drawing, with the art supplies I had on hand. While it served as a distraction, in truth it saved me; with every pencil mark, a tiny act of creation, instilling a hope that was desperately needed. The drawing itself measures 22 x 30", graphite, and took over 300 hours to complete. It is of my coworkers: nurses, doctors, respiratory therapists, proning their first COVID patient. Looking back on it now, I am transported back to this time and even though we were surrounded by so much death and dying, I will never forget the spirit of team work and resilience that kept us going during those difficult times.

Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner