When and how to fertilize your lawn

Nutrients such as nitrogen (N), phosphorous (P), potassium (K), are important for lawn and plant health. Fertilizers provide these nutrients to keep your lawn healthy and are usually labeled with three numbers such as 4-4-4 which correspond to the amounts of N-P-K. However, indiscriminate application of fertilizers especially during the wet season can result in excessive nutrients accumulating in our water bodies such as springs, lagoons and estuaries. These excess nutrients can come from other sources beyond fertilizers and can result in algal blooms which impair the normal functioning of these aquatic ecosystems through a process called eutrophication as described on this website by NOAA. Some algal blooms produce toxins that are harmful to fauna including humans. As bacteria decompose the algae, they use up the oxygen in the water column, resulting in low-oxygen or hypoxic conditions.The hypoxic conditions can kill fish. Algae also block the penetration of light through the water column. This can kill seagrasses which provide food for aquatic animals such as sea turtles and manatees, as well as habitat for many species. In fact, a recent Unusual Mortality Event has been declared for manatees in Florida and is likely the end result of nutrient pollution entering our water bodies in ever-increasing amounts resulting in the decimation of seagrasses. As algae decomposes, carbon dioxide is produced as well, which results in acidification by lowering the pH of the water. The acidification threatens coral reefs and shelled aquatic animals.

Climate change has the potential for exacerbating the frequency of algal blooms by various mechanisms as discussed by the EPA here. For example toxic cyanobacteria prefer warmer waters and warmer surface waters limit mixing of the water column allowing algal blooms to stay on the surface and continue growing. Climate change is also expected to change the frequency and intensity of droughts and extreme storms. Droughts may be longer and as a consequence there will be less dilution of nutrients near their sources. The accumulated nutrients may wash away in large quantities after a strong rainfall event that occurs after a long drought period. Therefore, it is important that we as a society and as individuals start addressing the issue of nutrient pollution which is already adversely affecting our waterways.

Something that seems so inocuous as fertilizing our lawns can result in a cascade of impacts in our water bodies, which ultimately harms not only our environment, but also our economy and ourselves. This website by the University of Florida's Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) has tips on how to fertilize your lawn such as: “Look for a fertilizer with at least some slow-release nitrogen, which releases the nitrogen to the grass over an extended period of time. Be sure that it also contains 2% phosphorus or less in accordance with Florida State Law.” The site also has a link where you can search for your local county Extension office to get help on how and when to fertilize your lawn. For those in central Florida, Seminole and Orange Counties have very specific fertilizer ordinances that you must follow. As of April 15, 2021 when I accessed both sites, both ordinances prohibit application of fertilizers with nitrogen and phosphorous during the wet season from June 1st through September 30th. Both ordinances also indicate that fertilizers used during the non-restricted season must contain at least 65% of slow-release nitrogen; fertilizers containing phosphorous are not allowed unless testing shows that there is a deficiency, and that no fertilizer should be applied within 15 feet of a water body.

Disclaimer: Contact an expert at your local Extension office for clarification if you have any doubts on how to fertilize your lawn properly and check the Seminole and Orange county fertilizer ordinance websites linked above for updates and additional details.

As I mentioned earlier, fertilizers are not the only source of nutrients reaching our water bodies. Other sources of nutrients include human, livestock, and pet feces, organic material such as leaves and grass clippings, and septic systems that are not properly working. So please, pick up after your pet, make sure that organic material does not enter storm drains, and have your septic system checked and maintained at least every 3-5 years. According to IFAS, “A conventional septic tank removes only about 30 percent of the nitrogen that flows into it. That means even a well-maintained system will become a source of excess nitrogen (particularly nitrate-nitrogen) to the surrounding soil in the drainfield and can leach to groundwater.” Advance Treatment Units use biological methods to reduce the amount of nutrients entering the soil. However, these tend to be costly compared to traditional septic systems. Florida Governor Ron Desantis recently proposed for $100 Million in the state’s budget go to cost-share programs for septic tank replacement, which would make it more affordable for homeowners. This is a step in the right direction. We all have a responsibility to our environment and raising awareness is a key part of that.

Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act re-introduced in the House of Representatives

Two weeks ago, climate activists got good news that the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act of 2021 (HR 2307), supported by the environmental organization Citizens Climate Lobby (CCL), has been re-introduced in the House of Representatives by Rep. Ted Deutch along with 28 original co-sponsors.

The Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act would place a fee on fossil fuels starting at $15 per ton of CO2 produced from burning the fuel.  The fee would increase by $10 each year.  The revenue collected from the fee would be returned to the American people in equal amounts to all citizens.  This is a market-based approach that would incentivize companies and other intensive users of fossil fuels to invest in clean and renewable energy sources. The fact that the fee will be returned to all citizens equally as a dividend would prevent low and moderate income people from bearing the burden of the transition towards clean, renewable energy. This is because they would get more dividend back than their increase in fuel costs.  Close to 100% of the fees will be returned to citizens (minus a small administrative fee) and the government will not keep any of this money. Imported fuel and carbon products would pay a tax at the border while exports would receive a refund to keep local products competitive.

To learn more go to CCL’s website for an introduction to the Energy Innovation Act.

Click here to write to Congress to express your support of the Energy Innovation Act.

Remember that The Central Florida Climate Artist Group has a call for artists for an environmental and climate change themed art show at the Orlando Science Center this summer. For more information see here.

“Where will the Children Play?” by Michelle Irizarry (oil on canvas, 30”x40”)

How to make your art practice more green and sustainable

Beyond pure aesthetic pleasure, art has always played an important role in many activist movements. From suffrage to anti-war protests, and more recently to the climate action and Black Lives Matters movemsents, art has been used as a tool for education and social action. Due to climate change and environmental degradation crisis we are living, it is important that art practices become more sustainable and as green as possible. Below are some tips on how to green up your art practices. You will find that some of these tips are very simple for you to incorporate into your art practice, while others may affect the way you work and the final product. Start simple and try various alternatives, until you find something that works for you. Every small change counts. Disclaimer: Try these at your own risk! When in doubt call your local waste management office! The products mentioned are from my own experience or recommendations from other artists. I am not endorsing nor being paid for mentioning these products.

• If possible, use alternatives to toxic pigments such as cadmiums, leads and cobalts. Liquitex for example offers cadmium-free versions of many of their cadmium colors which perform virtually the same as the original pigments. These cadmium-free paints were likely developed in response to a proposed ban of cadmium pigments by the European Chemical Agency (as described here) after Sweden began considering such a ban due to the pigments’ potential health and environmental impacts. However, their final decision of the ECHA was not to ban the pigments.

• For oil painters: If at all possible, avoid using solvents for painting. You are not only helping the environment but also your health! Many artists have successfully switched to using walnut oil to thin their paints. M. Graham makes a wonderful walnut oil that lasts forever! (Bonus: walnut oil does not yellow with time as much as linseed oil). As usual, remember the fat over lean rule to keep your paint films flexible!

• For oil painters: If possible, avoid using solvents for cleaning brushes. Instead, you can use water soluble oils for easier cleaning or the following procedure which minimizes the amount of pigment going down the drain:

  1. Step 1: Use a rag to remove most of the oil paint from your brushes.

  2. Step 2: Then consider using inexpensive linseed oil in a glass jar with a coil (like this) to remove most of the remaining oil paint. [Some artists use baby oil, mineral oil, or cooking oil but this step, but warning, these are non-drying oils and traces of these oils may remain in your brushes and affect future paintings]. In a few weeks time the paint will settle at the bottom of the jar with linseed oil and you will have clean oil available on top to clean your brushes. Consider getting two jars if you paint often.

  3. Step 3: Use a rag to remove most of the remaining oil from your brushes.

  4. Step 4: Finally, use dish soap to remove any final traces of oil paint from your brushes. The amount of pigment going down the drain will be minimal.

  5. Once you have enough dirty rags you can take them to the local landfill hazardous material area for safe disposal. Similarly, when your dirty oil jars are too full of paint you can separate the “cleaner” oils at the top from the paint sludge at the bottom. Put the sludge into an inexpensive jar and take it to the landfill hazardous material area.

• For acrylic painters: Keeping your brushes clean and dry will go a long ways towards increasing their longevity and minimizing the amount of pigment that goes down the drain. As with oils, try to remove most of the acrylic paint from your brushes by using a rag, and then dip your brush in water to remove the rest of the paint while painting. Tip: Try to keep the ferule (the part where the paint brush hairs are attached to the handle) dry or not wet for too long when cleaning your brushes. Sending dirty acrylic water down the drain WILL CLOG YOUR PIPES OVER TIME potentially resulting in costly repairs! There are several ways of handling the dirty acrylic water and I will list some options below:

  • Method 1: If you live in a warm area, leave your dirty paint water outside to settle and evaporate. If you have pets, be careful and make sure you do this in an area that is not accessible by pets or wild animals! The evaporation process may take a long time, so it will be good to have many containers ready for use, while others are settling and evaporating. Large yogurt tubs are ideal for this. Ask family and friends to save them for you. If the solids have settled at the bottom of the jar and there is clear water at the top of the jar, you can careful throw out the water at the top. Once all the water has evaporated, you will be left with a film of acrylic at the bottom of the jar that you can peel off. According to this website by Liquitex the resulting film of acrylic paint is considered chemically inert to not be considered hazardous waste. However, always check with your local waste management office to make sure. If you use toxic paints that contain cadmium, lead or cobalt, I would personally take them to the hazardous waste area of the local landfill. Some people add the acrylic paint water to kitty litter or mulch to help it dry faster as discussed here.

  • Method 2: This tip comes from artist Robert Burridge and is good for separating the acrylic solids from the dissolved solids. It consists of putting panty hose at the top of a 5 gallon bucket that has holes at the bottom. I would not use this on its own but combine it with Option 1 above.This page by artist Susan L. Stewart has more details on this method.

  • Method 3: You can use chemicals to cause flocculation of the acrylic solids from the paint water. You will end up with flocs or blobs of paint that can be filtered out of the water with a coffee filter. The method is described on this website by Golden Paints. Again, once you have accumulated enough solids, in the filters, you can take them to the local hazardous waste landfill for correct disposal.

“Manatee” by Michelle Irizarry - acrylic on canvas 30”x24”

Did you know that an Unusual Mortality Event (UME) has been declared for manatees in Florida this year as their deaths keep increasing? According to this article, 573 sea cow (manatee) deaths have been reported this year in Florida from January 1st to March 26, 2021. A large number of deaths have been reported in the Indian River Lagoon (IRL), which stretches from Volusia County to Palm Beach County. It is believed that the deaths in the IRL are due to a combination of lack of sea grass in the lagoon from increasing nutrient pollution, and cold weather which keeps them from moving into rivers and canals where they might be able to find other food sources.

“One with Nature” by Michelle Irizarry - acrylics on canvas 16”x20”

Would you be interested in learning from experts about how to green up your art practices without compromising the end result? I have been considering applying for a grant to bring in experts to talk to local Central Florida artists about best practices to green up their art. If there is any interest, I can try to make this happen as the Covid-19 pandemic allows. It could be in person or a webinar type event.

Send me an Email or write a comment below and let me know.

Additional tips:

• If new to art consider taking up watercolors which use smaller amounts of pigments and there is no need for additives or solvents. As always, be careful with paints that contain toxic pigments such as lead, cobalt, and cadmium, among others.

• Incorporate recycled materials into your art. Things like magazine clippings, paper receipts, stamps, fibers, plastics, etc. can add character and interest to your art. If light-resistance and permanence is a concern, use lightfast materials or apply an UV-resistant coating to the final piece (like this and this).

• You do not need a big budget to do art, consider reusing cardboard boxes, posterboards, old signs, and fabrics as your supports.

• If you do pour art, consider investing in reusable cups like these.

• Reuse! Pasta sauce jars, metal cans, yogurt tubs and others make great containers for water and mixing paints. Ask family and friends to save them for you.

• Reuse! Consider using old rags and T-shirts to clean as you paint. Lightly soiled paper towels can be reused for cleaning brushes as well.

• Consider carpooling with other local artists to art stores, exhibits, etc.

• If you are a teacher, especially an art teacher, you can recycle Crayola markers by participating in their Colorcycle program. Note, the program has been paused during the covid pandemic but keep checking the Crayola website for more info.

• Old and misshapen paintbrushes are wonderful for adding texture to your paintings. Think of grass or vegetation clumps!

• Instead of throwing out unused paint, consider donating it to local schools or a local community organization. Read here for more tips.

• I have heard about many artists using Murphy’s oil soap to clean their brushes but note that according to EWG, it has citronella oil which can be harmful to aquatic life. So after you clean your brushes with it, make sure to wipe most of it off on a rag before washing the brushes in the sink with water.

• Use varnishes and solvents in well-ventilated areas, away from wildlife, pets and people. Wear a respirator to protect yourself and gloves (but first make sure the material of the gloves will not react with the chemical you are using).

• Beware of odorless solvents as they can still emit toxic fumes without one being aware. See this artists’ guide to oil painting solvents and essential oils from Jerry’s Artarama.

• If you use solvents, read here for proper ways to dispose them and any rags you might use.

Painting roofs and roads white to counter the urban heat island effect

Hi everyone! I plan to start blogging about climate change and art topics and about their intersection. It is something that has been on my mind for quite some time—how will climate change affect how we perceive our world, not just through our five senses but also emotionally. This week I will be talking about the urban heat island effect and how white reflective paint could help counteract some of the warming associated with it.

This website and this compendium by the US Environmental Protection Agency has some information on the heat island effect and ways to mitigate it. Basically, the urban heat island effect is caused by buildings, asphalt pavements, and areas with little to no vegetation, which absorb heat from the sun and re-emit it unto nearby surfaces. This makes urban areas much warmer than nearby rural areas with differences in temperature of around 2-5 degrees Fahrenheit on average, but up to 10-20 degrees Fahrenheit in more extreme cases. The lack of open water and vegetation in urban areas also limits evaporative cooling during the day, which also contributes to warming. This increases cooling costs for buildings and residents. This study shows the drastic contrast in temperatures between Miami’s urban core and the Everglades to the west.

The warmer temperatures in urban cores can cause pollutants to accumulate and in particular increases ozone concentrations which forms more readily under warm temperatures. As buildings continue re-emitting their absorbed energy at night, nighttime temperatures do not drop as much in urban areas as in rural areas, which has health implications for the poor and vulnerable who often cannot afford the increasing costs of electricity. The increasing frequency of heatwaves expected as a result of global warming is compounded by the heat island effect in urban areas. Environmental and social justice must be considered in providing respite for the most vulnerable in the form of cooling centers, water sprinklers, establishing laws against power disconnection during heat emergencies, etc.

We know that light colors tend to reflect more sunshine and we all have noticed the stark differences in temperatures between dark- and light-colored surfaces when out on a hot day. Similar to the way that ice and snow reflect sunlight and keep our polar regions cool, painting urban surfaces in white could counteract some of the heat island effect by reflecting sunlight away from the surface. Major cities such as Los Angeles and New York City are already painting some of their roads and rooftops in white to try to bring temperatures down in urban areas. New York City in particular has painted more than 10 million square feet of rooftops in white. This is no small undertaking but will become more and more necessary as global warming continues. Thankfully, scientists seem to be developing better and better paints that are capable of reflecting more than 95% of solar radiation back to the atmosphere reducing local temperatures by more than 3 degrees Fahrenheit.

Everything in our climate system is connected and any action is bound to have downstream consequences that can often be unpredictable. For example, reflective roofs have been linked to reductions in regional precipitation by up to 4% in this study due to reductions in evapotranspiration. The reductions in precipitation may be more severe over and downwind from urban cores. By cooling large areas, there may also be less energy available for convective thunderstorm development. A recent modeling study shows that although local and regional cooling may occur due to reflective roofs, global changes in temperature from their widespread adoption may be negligible. Modifications to farming practices could also cool rural areas. However,as discussed in this modeling study, large changes in the reflectivity of desert areas could cause a large decline in rainfall over land areas with large reductions in the intensity of the African and Indian monsoons.

As with everything, human interventions that attempt to ameliorate the consequences of previous misguided human actions, are not without risks. We have placed our trust in the scientific process and we know that wisdom is required to move us forward in a way that will not place our civilization in a more perilous situation. Debates about the ethics of geoengineering are already happening (for example, here and here), although there is a certain level of comfort about the use of reflective materials in urban areas. Better funding will be needed to make sure that small-scale pilot projects and modeling projects can be undertaken and replicated by multiple research centers before we commit to risky and untested geoengineering approaches. I will be discussing the topic of geoengineering in more details in a future blog post.

Don’t like white paint? A thin layer of colored paint (less than 100 micrometers thick) over white can let some near-infrared light pass through and be reflected by the underlying white as discussed here.

Organizing Environmental and Climate Change art shows in Central Florida

Recently, a few local environmental activists and I founded the Central Florida Climate Artists Group (click here for Facebook group page), which is planning a series of environmentally-themed art shows throughout central Florida. We plan to have environmental-themed art shows throughout central Florida in the next few years. COVID has limited us in terms of being able to have live art shows and openings, but we are taking advantage of online platforms for dissemination. Our goal is to use art to improve climate and environmental education, which are issues that should concern us all since they threaten our long-term survival and prosperity regardless of political affiliation.

Last December, we had our first online art show hosted by the City of Casselberry on their website. This year we are happy to report that we are having our second environmental art show at the Orlando Science Center (OSC) Fusion Gallery. The art show is sponsored by the Cleo Institute and will include both performance and 2D fine art components. The show will run from May 21st until August 22nd. At the bottom of this blog post, you will find a copy of our call for artists.

We were asked by the OSC how this exhibition relates to STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math) and below is our response. Watch this space for additional blog posts about climate change and art!

“The science of climate change is unequivocal. It is based on analyses of the long-term observational record as well as climate modeling where scenarios of increasing greenhouse gas emissions show widespread global warming and long-term changes in many aspects of our climate. These changes threaten the future of our civilization. Climate models are run on super-computers and use numerical solvers to solve approximate versions of advanced mathematical equations based on the fundamentals laws of physics, fluid motion, and chemistry. These models allow for the simulation of different scenarios based on changes in greenhouse gas emissions resulting from a variety of possible socio-economic futures. They also allow us to assess how technological innovations to reduce emissions could alter our future path. Some of the more extreme climate predictions may verge on catastrophic and we as humans often prefer to ignore them and continue living our lives as usual. However, climate action requires both an activist community pushing our government to address the climate emergency and changes in our own lifestyle. Without being fully aware of what is at stake we cannot be fully effective in achieving these goals. Art has historically served a purpose in communicating difficult subjects to a diverse audience and has been behind many prominent activism movements. We hope this art show will present a variety of perspectives on how humans are dealing with the climate crisis, their thoughts and emotions on the subject, how they perceive the problem and its solutions.”

Earth’s Voice: An Environmental Art Exhibition

Call for Visual Artists for a juried environmental art show at the Orlando Science Center (OSC)

brought to you by the Central Florida Climate Artists and the Cleo Institute

Exhibition dates: May 21-Aug 22, 2021

Entry guidelines:

*2D artwork following environmental and climate change themes will be considered. Some sample topics include the climate crisis, environmental degradation, environmental justice, the nature/culture binary, interspecies interdependence, co-existence, co-evolution, degradation, restoration, biodiversity, species loss, circular economy, recycling, plastic pollution, fossil fuel pollution, sea level rise, art made out of recycled materials, clean energy and other solutions to environmental problems, etc.

*2D artwork must be smaller than 6 ft x 6 ft

*Artwork must be family-friendly. No nudity, no profanity. Political artwork will be evaluated by the jurors to determine if eligible for display. All juror decisions are final and cannot be reversed.

*In an effort to provide opportunities for as many artists as possible we are limiting submissions to three (3) per artist. We cannot guarantee that any or all submissions will be accepted since jurors will make the final decisions based on which artwork best represents the desired theme and look and feel of the show.

To enter: Send images of your entries (up to 3) to cfclimateartists@gmail.com by April 25, 2021, along with the following information:

Artist's name, Email address, mailing address, and telephone number

Name, size and medium for each piece

A sentence or two describing each piece

A short artist statement

We will notify artists whether their images have been chosen for the art show by May 2, 2021. More information on dates for artwork delivery to and pick up from the OSC will be provided to the selected artists. All juror decisions are final and cannot be reversed.

Look out for the call for artists for video performances related to environmental themes.

"SURVIVORS OF PSYCHIATRIC DRUGS: THE FACES OF IATROGENIC HARM"--KATHRYN

"SURVIVORS OF PSYCHIATRIC DRUGS: THE FACES OF IATROGENIC HARM"--KATHRYN

Disclaimer: NEVER cold turkey a medication. Consult your doctor and do your own independent research when starting or discontinuing a medication.

Today's warrior is this strong, beautiful and smart Canadian mom and grandma, Kathryn. I am fortunate to know her and call her my friend. This is a watercolor on paper (11"x15").

Please share if you believe in informed consent in medicine, because the truth is that most are not getting it with disastrous consequences for the individual and the whole of society. Those of you who have behind closed doors told me about your own experience with meds, I thank you for sharing your story. I will gladly share your story to the world but only when you are ready. I will also paint your portrait for FREE at no cost to you. PM me if you are interested.

Truth is the hardest pill to swallow!

#bebrave #akathisia #iatrogenesis #warrior#pillsharm #coldturkeykills #survivor #pillskill#pillsdisable
=========================================
"In 1981, an extremely stressful time, I was prescribed, by the head psycho-pharmacologist at our University Hospital, an antidepressant and a benzodiazepine and told neither were addictive. Benzodiazepine dependency developed, with the anxiety again becoming overwhelming. My dose was increased accordingly, and over subsequent years dosages of both classes of drugs were increased, adjusted, types changed and more drugs added. I was told I required these “as a diabetic does insulin” for treatment resistant anxiety and depression by numerous general practitioners who took over my care and then another psychiatrist. I bought this “line” and dosed as directed. I was not informed of how one can become physically tolerant to the benzodiazepines, where more of the drug is needed to achieve the same result and therefore one becomes physiologically dependent. The results were catastrophic and the fact I’m alive today is nothing short of miraculous.

With time, my health suffered drastically and my thoughts terribly distorted. I left a failed marriage November 2010. With research, it became painfully clear that all incurred losses over the years, including over 20 years of illness (5 bedridden with nursing care), were a result of such side effects of these drugs. I no longer had family, a home, a husband and but one friend I met in the safe house. My promising career, had ended in 1991 due to illnesses, all of which have left as I reduce the drugs, as each symptom of each illness diagnosed was a side effect of the drugs or an interaction between them. Due to financial constraints, after a five month stay in a safe house, I found myself residing in a poverty and crime stricken area of the city (July 2011).

Grief, loneliness and fear was overwhelming. My mind turned to a familiar place (suicidal ideation) as resolution, but by grace, this time I questioned my “go to”. There had to be a reason which explained why I was in this predicament with such thoughts. Research soon revealed self-destructive compulsion to be another side effect. Initially I did a cold turkey of all psych drugs, narrowly escaping seizure and death. It had never been disclosed that abrupt cessation could indeed be life threatening. After two weeks, I sought emergency medical aid where concerted efforts were made to convince me I needed all the drugs. I did not relent but reluctantly went back on a third. Further internet exploration uncovered groups that dealt with this and began safely tapering as I should have from the beginning. To this day, many doctors, themselves, remain ignorant of the need for such a withdrawal process therefore causing untold harm, including suicide, to atrocious numbers of patients.

Now 5 ½ years later (December 2016), I am still tapering and beginning to reclaim my life. The dosages I was on before the cold turkey were, largely, in unheard of amounts. The injustice often leaves me in tears of rage that no consequences have been visited on those responsible but I continue and will not cease until completely rid of what I now refer to as poisons. I see, easily, another two to three years tapering before I’m finished and after that more recovery time to heal a damaged central nervous system.

My life goal is to restore firstly the relationships with my children and grandchildren. I’ve lost more years than I can count of their lives. I then want to become very involved in setting up physical places where one can receive support as needed during the horrific, long term withdrawal from these toxic substances, as well as in creating an end to the wilful, irresponsible prescription of them with alternative solutions. Perhaps then there will be less people who take their lives in the process; people I’ve met online and came to care deeply for and then grieve. This HAS to stop! It has shamefully and criminally evolved into a purposefully hidden holocaust of epidemic proportions.

Kathryn"

New project: "SURVIVORS OF PSYCHIATRIC DRUGS: THE FACES OF IATROGENIC HARM"

"SURVIVORS OF PSYCHIATRIC DRUGS: THE FACES OF IATROGENIC HARM"--ANTOINETTE
I believe that "Art should comfort the disturbed and disturb the comfortable" (Banksy). For this reason I have embarked in a year-long project to document the lives of "Survivors of Psychiatric Drugs : The Faces of Iatrogenic Harm." I will be painting portraits of some of the survivors of this unrecognized crime against humanity. I thank each and every one of these brave warriors for lending their image to this project and letting me tell their story. Please share if you believe in informed consent in medicine, because the truth is that most are not getting it with disastrous consequences for the individual and the whole of society.

Disclaimer: NEVER cold turkey a medication. Consult your doctor and do your own independent research when starting or discontinuing a medication.

Today I start with this smart, courageous and beautiful mother of 3, Antoinette. This is a watercolor and body color on paper (11"x15")

#bebrave #akathisia #iatrogenesis #warrior #pillsharm

===================================================

"In 2002 when I was 19 I was prescribed Celexa for grief and anxiety. I can laugh now that I called this anxiety because it was a normal response to situations that were traumatizing to me at such a young age. I was in the prime of my life, I was young, healthy, active (worked out 5 days a week as had such a calm easy going demeanor). I was so happy going. My career just started as life for me was really good. Because I am so sensitive and empathetic I couldn't shake the emotions of a death that was really close to me. I went to the Dr and was told I had a chemical imbalance that could be fixed by an antidepressant.

Over the course of 10 years I turned into a non functioning 286 lb person who was no longer full of emotions and passion for life. I was depressed and void on these drugs and had no goals or motivation. I hated myself on the meds and made horrible decisions. Was tired and a robot. I thought no matter how I felt that I had to stay on the meds for life because of a chemical imbalance. I had 2 children during this time while on meds and my first born was really sick for the first 6 mos of his life from withdrawal. He had broken bones and we were being accused of abuse and he was taken away for 3 mos. In order to get him back we had to do numerous steps, including passing a lie detector test, if not we could have been sent to prison for child abuse.

In 2012 my insurance would no longer cover Lexapro that I was on at the time. I had been taken off and switched meds numerous times due to tolerance or reactions to other meds. I cold turkeyed and got extremely sick and reinstated 6 weeks later. I ended up suffering an adverse reaction that landed me in the psych ward with akathesia, suicidal urges and thoughts, insomnia, rage, derealization, depression so bad that I felt someone had ripped my soul off my body. It was so chemical in nature and all my symptoms were mental and severe. I did not have one second free from them. I could not sit still and developed severe OCD and lost 62 lbs. I was on the drugs for 6 weeks but getting worse by the minute so had to cold turkey again. The desperation and anguish of all these symptoms has been a nightmare I can't put into words. It was something out of a horror movie, and I was extremely sick. Mentally I had almost every symptom of withdrawal there is.

I am 4 and a half years off Lexapro and although I am much better than the acute days I still have most the symptoms, but to a less degree some days. I have hope this will all go whereas before I didn't have a hope in the world I would recover. It really is hard for me to put into words how much these meds have impacted my life. I just about lost everything I have including my life. I lost my career, life savings, dignity, mind, health and most importantly I have been too sick to take care and enjoy my kids the way a normal mom should. That is something I will never get back and I grieve. I hope the next couple of years will bring full healing.
Love and peace,
Antoinette"

Juried into 45th Annual Florida Watercolor Society Exhibition

So excited to learn that my watercolor painting "Simply Valeria" was juried into the 45th Annual Florida Watercolor Society Exhibition by juror Ted Nuttall. The exhibit will take place at the College of Central Florida Webber Gallery in Ocala, Florida from September 6th, 2016 through October 21st, 2016. Opening reception on Friday September 23rd at 5:30 PM at the Webber Gallery. I am hoping I can attend.

"Simply Valeria" - watercolor on paper (11x15 inches)

"Serene" on the cover of Jerry's Artarama Summer (June 2016) catalog

Last year my watercolor painting "Serene" won an Honorable Mention in Jerry's Artarama 2015 SOHO Spring Painting Contest. Jerry's recently contacted me requesting a higher resolution image of my painting so they could use it for their Summer (June 2016) catalog. I was thrilled by the opportunity.

Jerry's recently sent me about a dozen catalogs for me to keep and give to family and friends. I love how it turned out and I am so proud and happy that they chose my painting. I want to thank photographer David Morgans from the site "Paint my Photo" for such a nice reference photo.  By the way, the painting is still available for sale. It is watercolor on watercolor paper at 15x11 inches and is currently proudly displayed in my own home :)

The cover of Jerry's Artarama Summer 2016 catalog with my watercolor painting :)

Work juried into CFWS Annual Show (2016)

Ecstatic to learn that two of my watercolors ("Somewhere in Sevilla" and "Flamboyanes") have been juried into the Central Florida Watercolor Society Annual Show (2016) by juror Janet King.
The paintings will be on display at SOBO Gallery in Winter Garden, FL from Feb. 4 through April 1st, 2016.
Artist reception will be on Feb. 4 from 5:30-8:00 PM at SOBO Gallery (127 South Boyd St., Winter Garden, FL)
 

"Flamboyan" - watercolor on watercolor paper (22x15 inches)

"Somewhere in Sevilla" - watercolor on watercolor paper (22x15 inches)