It was 2020 when I spotted this gentleman sitting alone at the counter as we waited to be seated at a table, properly spaced apart. He was dressed in a fine hat, pressed shirt, and shined boots as if to tell the world that he’s still here.
The contrast of groups chatting around tables while he sat alone grabbed my heart. I had to paint him because he, without words, told the heartbreaking story of society during COVID. Fear, isolation, loneliness, loss, and bewilderment come together on his face. So do pride and determination.
In different times, he might have been sitting with his friends at that counter, arguing politics, reminiscing about times gone by, guffawing at a funny joke. Instead, he sat alone waiting for take-out for one . . .