This series of paintings is influenced by my experiences during COVID-19. The way that I have come to interact with the world during the pandemic has changed significantly. One of the most tangible for me is the attention to my hands. Before the pandemic I was someone who offered lots of high-fives, shaking of hands, and hugs. However, due to this pandemic all of that has changed. Now I am overly aware of all of the surfaces I have touched. I use ridiculous amounts of hand-sanitizer. I always wash my hands immediately upon returning home from any outing. The pandemic has also drawn attention to how we interact as a society. With this has come amplified coverage of the voices of people suffering in the world. These paintings are my way of visually representing reaching my hand out to those that need help. Because of the current state of the world I wanted the hands to be skewed and distorted, in similar fashion to how reality has been skewed during the pandemic.