Some of my guiding questions for my sustained investigation include how and why do we commune? Also, where do we find beauty in our communities? I began by painting literal scenes that represent people gathering such as the bread and wine from “communion”, a religious scene. As I continued to create, I discovered different ways in which I found community. These included faith groups, school, family, camp and others. I realized that physical interaction has become more sparse since the beginning of the pandemic, but that we still need that as humans. I was able to recognize the value of physical connection that we had lost at one point. I chose these works because of the way that my communities have formed me, and how I have grown from them. I explored this topic through painting, printing, and drawing places and settings in which I find community in my daily life. I experimented with various types of printmaking and painting on different surfaces so that I could discover my favorite ways to work. I also recycled old canvases from people in my school which is representative of the community we share as art students. Although most people’s experiences with community differ from mine, hopefully these scenes will evoke reflection on how our communities have affected all of us and gratitude for the communities that we are each a part of.