Juan Hinojosa, Stand Back, 2020, mixed media on paper, 62" x 40".

Juan Hinojosa describes himself as a "mixed media Latinx artist who works with found objects." He's also, as he refers to it, "an organized hoarder" who searches the streets of New York for suitable items to use in his work. These can include playing cards, stickers, fabric scraps, paper advertisements, matches, and countless other odds and ends that Hinojosa stumbles upon. Or stumbled upon, rather, as the COVID-19 quarantine has prevented him from using his normal process. "It is hard to make artwork based on what I find on the streets of New York when I have been self quarantining for the last 4 weeks," he said. Though his past works are quite large, his current series is made up of pieces small enough to fit in one's hand. The artworks are mostly 2D, but 3D forms exist within them, utilizing color, repetition, and varies textures. Like his past work, these pieces are made with found objects, but said objects are no longer discovered on the street. "I have been using materials I have here at home like old letters, t-shirts I no longer like, match books and even paper clips," he said. "Funny how suddenly everyday items are now my favorite source for materials." Accordingly, his advice for getting through this pandemic is to appreciate and find inspiration in one's surroundings. Boredom has become a quarantine companion for many of us, but perhaps looking at the "found objects" within our own homes and creating something new can offer perspective and eliminate boredom. Hinojosa's unique artwork reminds us of the importance of the small, seemingly insignificant things in life. For more information about Juan Hinojosa and his work, visit his website at juanhinojosa.com.

Erica Licea-Kane, Up, Over and Around, 2019, acrylic medium, acrylic pigment and wood burning, 18" x 24" x 1 1/2".

At first glance, one might think that Erica Licea-Kane's artwork is made of yarn or some other textile. It has the same heavy, warm quality of a knitted blanket and looks soft to the touch. In fact, her pieces are made of acrylic medium and pigment intentionally reminiscent of textiles. Inspired by her textile training as an art student and her childhood memories of fabric store trips and her grandmother's linen chest, Licea-Kane describes herself as "a painter from a weaver's point of view." "Currently," she said, "I am working on studies of drawings with repetitive lines in ink that I am then cutting up and reassembling. I am working my way to exploring more mixed media surfaces that will eventually incorporate the extruded medium." Her work invites the viewer to explore the physicality of the surface, to look closely at each line and edge, finding the patience the piece took to create. Fortunately, Licea-Kanbe has found that COVID-19 hasn't disrupted her art process much, aside from the premature closure of her Kingston Gallery exhibition. But we can all absorb what her work shows us: patience, mindfulness, and looking closer at the world around us to find surprising truths. To learn more about Erica Licea-Kane and her work, visit her website at licea-kane.com.

Marcie Jan Bronstein, Being Here, 2019, watercolor on paper, 16" x 20".

Marcie Jan Bronstein is a painter who uses watercolor to create symbolic and sensual works of art. Her paintings draw upon the natural qualities of watercolor, the way it flows and merges into itself, and the finality of each stroke of the brush. While the pandemic at first made creating difficult, she was soon gripped with the urge to make something meaningful. In the end, she returned to the painting she's always done, "which is actually not unrelated to the pandemic," she said. "Painting images/themes I had been developing–portals and sanctuaries, interdependency and vulnerability–was always a kind of solace." She paints in the moment, focusing on each stroke of the brush as she makes it, responding to the color and flow. For her, both external and internal quiet is what breeds creativity. "I agree with the idea that one cannot be authentically creative while looking for attention," she added. Bronstein's paintings evoke mindfulness and patience, qualities in short supply during this pandemic but ones we desperately need. Bronstein's intimate and emotional artwork can help us find or create these qualities in ourselves. To learn more about Marcie Jan Bronstein and her work, visit her website at marciejbronstein.com.

To view all images, "view images" may need to be enabled on your browser.

Wondering how your favorite gallery is responding to COVID-19? Check Artscope's COVID-19 Closures & Updates page for a list of COVID-19 updates from galleries and museums all over New England. This page will be updated continuously as we receive more information. In addition, if you are a museum, gallery, artist or open studio event organizer with something that is still going on, please send us a message at [email protected] so that we can help let people know.

Remember to download the free Artscope mobile app. It is available for iPhone, iPad, DROID & Tablet, and can be downloaded here or in the App store or Google Play. The Artscope app will give you important news, gallery & sponsor listings, live feed of Artscope Online posts, current issue excerpts and interactions that make you an integral part of the Artscope universe.

Come experience the dialogue that is taking place on Artscope Online right now! Our comment box feature allows you to give your remarks and feedback through your Twitter, Facebook or Google accounts. This is just another way to continue the art discussions that make up the Artscope universe. Also, you can visit the Artscope breaking news feed on the current exhibitions page of our website to see what's happening today through tweets sent directly from your favorite galleries and museums. When you attend an exhibit, after learning about it through the feed, please mention that you saw it in Artscope.

Artscope's website has a brand new look! We've redesigned and enhanced artscopemagazine.com, creating a dynamic site with trending articles, popular articles and seamless multi-platform reviews, a listings feed, an events calendar and more. Check it out today!

As always, information on upcoming exhibits and performing arts events can be sent to [email protected], to appear in the magazine or in e-blasts such as this. Want to advertise? Reach us here for more information. To learn more about sponsoring these email blasts, contact us at [email protected] or call 617-639-5771.

'scope us out!