Portraits of the Pandemic: Cheerful Instagram illustrations depict life under lockdown

CBC Ottawa reached out to local artists and photographers who are capturing this unusual time visually, for a series we're calling Portraits of the Pandemic. This week, we highlight whimsical Instagram illustrations that depict both the lockdown's more banal moments and the sometimes overwhelming anxiety of this time.

Chelsea Nelson's relatable images of couch potatoes and comfy pants also get at anxieties of lockdown

Christine Maki CBC News Posted: Jul 09, 2020 4:10 AM EDT | Last Updated: July 9, 2020

Chelsea Nelson's art depicts both the pandemic's more banal moments and its bigger worries. Of this piece, titled Ready, she says: 'My sentiment was that I wonder if people have been feeling anxious to get back to regular life but also anxious in a negative way about going back to regular life and just feeling like there's there's some good to be taken out of this experience that we've collectively been going through.' (Chelsea Nelson)

CBC Ottawa reached out to local artists and photographers who are capturing this unusual time visually, for a series we're calling Portraits of the Pandemic.

Early lastwinter, Chelsea Nelson was a little more tuned in to the threat of COVID-19 than most in Ottawa. The 28-year-oldhad a month-long trip to Thailand planned for February and was tracking the virus before eventually pulling the plug and going into lockdown.

Working from home on a reduced schedule gave the graphic designer more time to pick up her iPad andcapture the upheaval and its impact in images.

"If I was experiencing it, I wanted to try to create art thatother people could relate to during these trying times," she explained.

Portraits of the Pandemic: Illustrating the lockdown through art on Instagram

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Chelsea Nelson, who works as a graphic designer, creates relatable images of couch potatoes and comfy pants while acknowledging the anxiety created by the pandemic.

Keep Three by Chelsea Nelson. (Chelsea Nelson)

Home Apart by Chelsea Nelson. (Chelsea Nelson)

Nelson has long shared her illustrations on her Instagram @heychelsstudio.

But through the last several monthsthe pandemic has been hermajor muse, inspiring drawings about frustrating Zoom calls, reheated coffee and people turning into couch potatoes, as well as pieces that get at the scarier emotions that comewith being swept up in a worldwide lockdown.

Helping Hand by Chelsea Nelson. (Chelsea Nelson)

Several of Chelsea Nelson's pieces touch on the tendency, especially early on in lockdown, for people to become couch potatoes. This one is called Carbs Forever. (Chelsea Nelson)

Covid Emotions by Chelsea Nelson. (Chelsea Nelson)

Nelson usesbright colours and tries to inject some humour into each piece.

"I guess I have a tendency to try to find the silver linings in things, so some of my pieces are definitely a brighter take. They'rebased around my little observations of day-to-day life and how it's affected me," she said.

Mask Girl by Chelsea Nelson. (Chelsea Nelson)

Chelsea Nelson is a graphic designer who also posts bright illustrations to her @heychelsstudio Instagram account. (Photolux)

Nelson keeps track of her observations and ideas for future works in a notebook she carries around with her.

"Sometimes, justbeforefalling asleep, I'll have visuals pop into my head and then I'llwrite those down so I don't forget. Or sometimes I just jump in and start working on it when it comes to mind if I happen to be by my iPad," she explained.

Couch Potato by Chelsea Nelson. (Chelsea Nelson)

Chelsea Nelson has a tendency to reheat her coffee a lot while working from home. This piece is called Reheated. (Chelsea Nelson)

Nelson posts her workon Instagram because she finds it gratifying to get direct messages and comments from followers who say an illustration made them smile.

With the pandemic and other difficult news headlines, Chelsea Nelson started feeling the weight of the world. She drew this piece, titled Heaviness, for others feeling the same way. (Chelsea Nelson)

But she doesn't shy away from tackling some of the difficult feelings of this time,creating images like a person flattened by the weight of theEarth, representing her struggle to hold up under world events that can become overwhelming.

"I certainly had a few days where I wasfeeling pretty heavy myself, so it wasa visualization of that.I hopepeoplesee it, and if they're feeling the same waythey'd know thatthey're not alone."

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