My Pandemic Diary Drawings

Original drawings and text by Judith Sussman

When friends suggested that I capture these surreal times by drawing empty NYC streets, I thought that was too depressing.

Then I got the idea to do these “Diary Drawings” of my experiences and observations living through this pandemic…

PANDEMIC WALKS summarizes the daily walks my friend and I take, often in Soho,  and some of the architecture we got to admire especially in the beginning when there was little traffic or other distractions. But even now my walks with my neighbor are all about interesting discoveries in architecture, murals, street performers, etc.  

CO-OP LIFE is more about the differences in living in a large co-op during a pandemic.

SHELTERING IN PLACE is about the initial lockdown and all we had to do, and not do, differently.

DIFFERENTIATING DAYS was in response to so many people asking me what I did all day. And aren’t I bored? (NO!!!)

PANDEMIC-INDUCED SELF RELIANCE is all the things we needed to learn to do without our “support system” of housekeepers, handymen, nail salons, trainers, etc.

UNDER MY WINDOW relates how the protestors affected my neighborhood – and while they were certainly loud, they were peaceful (except for the looters who, for 2-3 days, infiltrated the protests and made them look lawless).