I cannot look away

I wrote a post back in January -art as a response to … and realize that as the months and days and nights roll on -essentially nothing has changed. I read a passage from Substack writer of @The Sometimes newsletter

Ella Frances Sanders

which resonated for me this morning .

“Again, and again, wondering how it is possible for us to live on a planet where a genocide has been happening almost entirely unchecked for 174 days”

How can we continue to bear witness to this human tragedy and feel so impotent?

Thousands upon thousands of us march and protest worldwide and the majority of world countries beg for ceasefire and access to humanitarian aid for the Gazan people . This genocide has been declared a humanitarian disaster by almost every world dignitary from the IJC , the WHO .. an on and on.

I seek to keep informed as I watch the major news channels slinking away from (truthful) coverage . I follow several other artists on social media channels who also speak up about their outrage and sorrow relating to the genocide in Gaza and Palestine. We have ways and means for insiders to document the ongoing horror and injustices in Gaza despite the spin doctors efforts to snuff out the truth . The life threatening risks these reporters , physicians and ordinary citizens have undertaken to provide us with knowledge of the atrocities is truly incredible.

I know there are over 350 of you subscribed to my newsletter and up to 600 reading my posts and I thank you for your devotion and support.

I’m thinking many of you did not visit to read about such things -that you are here to feel a bit better about your art making and perhaps hear about my art journeys and related musings here. Yet..This is the mental space I am currently in.

As an artist I feel a responsibility to share my thoughts “and do something” As a human being I cannot ignore the murder of thousands of people, a culture and what was a beautiful and a vital world so far away. Hospitals , heritage dismantled and crushed - little or no access to health care and food, clean water (a human right !)

I have been making Zines for Palestine - a few small mini one pagers in black and white -and full colour zines . . It’s been a way and means to humanize this heartbreaking situation . Each colourful Zine is signed and dated by the artist. 14 illustrations are featured -created by this artist in response to the Genocide in Gaza-and to celebrate the beautiful country of Palestine. The zine is 5 1/2 x 8 1/2" in dimension..(I will also slip in a copy of my one page mini zine!)I. I am choosing UNRWA again for my charitable organization of choice. For This fundraiser I will be donating 15 dollars of your payment to the struggling organization UNRWA for each zine ordered . If you live in Canada or the USA I will cover your postage - otherwise I need to charge 10.00 for overseas orders.

You can purchase this Zine via my online shop

Cheers H

Thanks to those of you who participated in my last art fundraiser which raised 335 dollars for UNRWA !

mini zines..

Thanks to UK artist and illustrator Sarah Dyer for her leadership and online live drawing sessions for Palestine in which I have regularly participated. (Look her up on instagram!) These sessions been humbling and have fostered solidarity among hundreds like minds! -They have been a way to contribute to a worthwhile cause -to do something. Most of the sketches are from these sessions while others have been from my own searches/references.

On this Easter weekend I cannot think for a moment about bunnies, easter eggs and even the religious stories that connect to this holiday weekend. I hope in my heart that if you shout it out loud whenever and wherever you can -and you take opportunities to stay in the know and dig deeper. These conversations can become contagious.

If you are an artist -please find a way to express your outrage and sadness in a way that works for you. If you are able ..take it a bit further and spread the message through your art making .

So Gaza is on my mind every day . As painful as it is ..Please don’t look away

and ..Thanks for reading Ageless Artist !