
American Gothic Collides with the Climate Crisis
Graphite, pastel, and ink on tea toned multimedia paper
42 X 60
October 2020
The climate crisis and the associated droughts have impacted farmers around the world. Here you have modern figures posed like the American Gothic painting by Grant Wood, with a dead corn crop depicting the traditional farm in trouble because of drought. I lived in Florida for 40 years and witnessed firsthand the escalation of the climate crisis. We went from having winter freezes in the 1980s and 90s, to having 8-9 straight months per year of above 90 degree weather in the 2010s. In 2021, there have been record heatwaves in many parts of the world and that is only going to cause more drought and more food insecurity.
Thank you to my sister, Lisa Delmonico and her husband, Bill Capowski for modeling for this artwork.
Here's the data shared around the border of this piece:
An estimated 55 million people globally are affected by drought every year. Droughts are the most serious hazard to livestock and crops in nearly every part of the world. They threatens peoples' livelihoods, increases risk of death and disease, and fuels mass migration.
As many as 700 million people are at-risk of being displaced as a result of drought by 2030. Severe drought increases risk of wild fires and dust storms which impact air quality and all the associated health conditions. Climate change = warmer temperatures = dry regions are drier and wet regions are wetter.
Water scarcity impacts 40% of the world population.
Graphite, pastel, and ink on tea toned multimedia paper
42 X 60
October 2020
The climate crisis and the associated droughts have impacted farmers around the world. Here you have modern figures posed like the American Gothic painting by Grant Wood, with a dead corn crop depicting the traditional farm in trouble because of drought. I lived in Florida for 40 years and witnessed firsthand the escalation of the climate crisis. We went from having winter freezes in the 1980s and 90s, to having 8-9 straight months per year of above 90 degree weather in the 2010s. In 2021, there have been record heatwaves in many parts of the world and that is only going to cause more drought and more food insecurity.
Thank you to my sister, Lisa Delmonico and her husband, Bill Capowski for modeling for this artwork.
Here's the data shared around the border of this piece:
An estimated 55 million people globally are affected by drought every year. Droughts are the most serious hazard to livestock and crops in nearly every part of the world. They threatens peoples' livelihoods, increases risk of death and disease, and fuels mass migration.
As many as 700 million people are at-risk of being displaced as a result of drought by 2030. Severe drought increases risk of wild fires and dust storms which impact air quality and all the associated health conditions. Climate change = warmer temperatures = dry regions are drier and wet regions are wetter.
Water scarcity impacts 40% of the world population.

When Your House Becomes a Pile of Rubble
Graphite, watercolor, and ink on multimedia paper
42 X 60
January 2021
There were 30 named storms in the 2020 hurricane season, 14 became hurricanes and 7 were major hurricanes. I was living along the Gulf coast in Florida back then. I watched in astonishment and awe as the storms seemed to march up the length of the Gulf of Mexico, growing in intensity as they were fueled by the 90 degree waters. Now, in 2021, we've witnessed Hurricane Ida, a hurricane that broke all records with its rapid intensification (growing from category 1 to category 4 in 24 hours) and wreaked havoc from Louisiana to New York.
Thank you to my former neighbors, Derek and Cerise Manns and their daughters for modeling for this artwork.
Here's the data shared around the border of this piece:
Global Warming = Warmer Ocean Temperatures = Energy that Fuels Storms = More Volatile Storms = Rapid Intensification = Stronger Winds, Higher Rainfall, Slower Forward Movement = More Death and Destruction (especially for vulnerable populations).
2020 was a record year in the Atlantic Basin with 30 named tropical storms and hurricanes. Over 400 people lost their lives. Property damage and loss is estimated at $8-25 billion. 2020 also tied 2016 for hottest temperatures on record.
Graphite, watercolor, and ink on multimedia paper
42 X 60
January 2021
There were 30 named storms in the 2020 hurricane season, 14 became hurricanes and 7 were major hurricanes. I was living along the Gulf coast in Florida back then. I watched in astonishment and awe as the storms seemed to march up the length of the Gulf of Mexico, growing in intensity as they were fueled by the 90 degree waters. Now, in 2021, we've witnessed Hurricane Ida, a hurricane that broke all records with its rapid intensification (growing from category 1 to category 4 in 24 hours) and wreaked havoc from Louisiana to New York.
Thank you to my former neighbors, Derek and Cerise Manns and their daughters for modeling for this artwork.
Here's the data shared around the border of this piece:
Global Warming = Warmer Ocean Temperatures = Energy that Fuels Storms = More Volatile Storms = Rapid Intensification = Stronger Winds, Higher Rainfall, Slower Forward Movement = More Death and Destruction (especially for vulnerable populations).
2020 was a record year in the Atlantic Basin with 30 named tropical storms and hurricanes. Over 400 people lost their lives. Property damage and loss is estimated at $8-25 billion. 2020 also tied 2016 for hottest temperatures on record.

The Trees and Animals are Innocent!
Graphite, pastel, watercolor, and pan pastel on multimedia paper
42 X 60
February 2021
While parts of the world are experiencing the extreme weather of hurricanes, tornados and floods, other parts of the world are experiencing water shortages, extreme heat, drought, and wildfires that are burning down millions of acres of forests and people's homes. The climate crisis and global warming are causing the dryness and the heat, but the wildfires are also making the situation worse by pouring more toxins into the air and the environment.
The human side of this is the sorrow and pain of losing a lifetime of belongings and the memories they represent. But, material things can be replaced and homes rebuilt. Breathing the smoke from those fires month after month can only have detrimental effects on the health of the people and animals. And the loss of trees and plant life only further destroys the earth's ecosystems.
Thank you to my son, Shaun Flanagan and his dog, Nico for modeling for this artwork. Such a good boy, Nico!!
Here's the data shared around the border of this piece:
Increasing heat, changing rain and snow patterns, shifts in plant communities and other climate related changes have produced more and bigger fires that burn more intensely. Hot air soaks up water from plants, soil, lakes, and rivers.
A heat spell will dry out plants and even some trees turning them into easily igniting fuel for wild fires. In years when Spring comes early and snowpacks melt early, plants and soil are drier longer and there are more forest fires.
In 2020, there were 58,250 wild fires!
Graphite, pastel, watercolor, and pan pastel on multimedia paper
42 X 60
February 2021
While parts of the world are experiencing the extreme weather of hurricanes, tornados and floods, other parts of the world are experiencing water shortages, extreme heat, drought, and wildfires that are burning down millions of acres of forests and people's homes. The climate crisis and global warming are causing the dryness and the heat, but the wildfires are also making the situation worse by pouring more toxins into the air and the environment.
The human side of this is the sorrow and pain of losing a lifetime of belongings and the memories they represent. But, material things can be replaced and homes rebuilt. Breathing the smoke from those fires month after month can only have detrimental effects on the health of the people and animals. And the loss of trees and plant life only further destroys the earth's ecosystems.
Thank you to my son, Shaun Flanagan and his dog, Nico for modeling for this artwork. Such a good boy, Nico!!
Here's the data shared around the border of this piece:
Increasing heat, changing rain and snow patterns, shifts in plant communities and other climate related changes have produced more and bigger fires that burn more intensely. Hot air soaks up water from plants, soil, lakes, and rivers.
A heat spell will dry out plants and even some trees turning them into easily igniting fuel for wild fires. In years when Spring comes early and snowpacks melt early, plants and soil are drier longer and there are more forest fires.
In 2020, there were 58,250 wild fires!

Oil and Water Don't Mix
Graphite, watercolor, and ink on multimedia paper with collage
42 X 60
September 2021
Did you know that 80% of the world's wastewater is dumped (largely untreated) back into the environment, polluting rivers, lakes, and oceans? The biggest sources of water pollution come from oil spills (on land and in the water), fertilizer (from runoff that goes into rivers and eventually the oceans), and plastics (all that trash that finds its way into the oceans).
Thank you to Fallon Fratone for being the best mermaid ever!!
Here's the data shared around the border of this piece:
Water pollution causes ocean acidification which hinders CO2 absorption, making Global Warming worse.
Unsafe water kills more people each year (1.8 million in 2015) than war and all forms of violence combined. Common types of contamination include agricultural, sewage, wastewater, stormwater runoff, oil pollution, and radioactive substances. Low income communities are at greater risk because their homes are often closest to polluting industries (factories, oil refineries, and power plants).
Diseases from unsafe water include Cholera, Giardia, Typhoid, and Legionnaire's Disease. Water pollution causes algal blooms, reducing oxygen in the water, suffocating plants and marine animals. Debris also threatens marine ecosystems.
Graphite, watercolor, and ink on multimedia paper with collage
42 X 60
September 2021
Did you know that 80% of the world's wastewater is dumped (largely untreated) back into the environment, polluting rivers, lakes, and oceans? The biggest sources of water pollution come from oil spills (on land and in the water), fertilizer (from runoff that goes into rivers and eventually the oceans), and plastics (all that trash that finds its way into the oceans).
Thank you to Fallon Fratone for being the best mermaid ever!!
Here's the data shared around the border of this piece:
Water pollution causes ocean acidification which hinders CO2 absorption, making Global Warming worse.
Unsafe water kills more people each year (1.8 million in 2015) than war and all forms of violence combined. Common types of contamination include agricultural, sewage, wastewater, stormwater runoff, oil pollution, and radioactive substances. Low income communities are at greater risk because their homes are often closest to polluting industries (factories, oil refineries, and power plants).
Diseases from unsafe water include Cholera, Giardia, Typhoid, and Legionnaire's Disease. Water pollution causes algal blooms, reducing oxygen in the water, suffocating plants and marine animals. Debris also threatens marine ecosystems.

Put Your Oxygen Mask on First
Graphite, watercolor, and ink on multimedia paper
42 X 48
September 2021
Greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide, cause the climate to warm because they trap heat from the sun in the earth's atmosphere. Since the early 1900s, the increase in greenhouse gases has come from vehicle exhaust, pollutants from factories and power plants, emissions from agriculture, and more. This piece also focuses on environmental justice because polluting factories tend to be near the homes of people of color.
Thank you to Cerise Manns and her daughter for modeling for this artwork!
Here's the data shared around the border of this piece:
According to the World Health Organization, approximately 7 million people die yearly from air pollution. The health effects include: Increase in frequency and severity of asthma, chronic bronchitis common when living near power plants and factories, correlation between burning fossil fuels and cancer rates.
Increased carbon dioxide in the air = increased growing period for plants = more days of high pollen count. Between 1980-2011, $9 billion of soybeans and corn were lost in the United States because of air pollution.
Graphite, watercolor, and ink on multimedia paper
42 X 48
September 2021
Greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide, cause the climate to warm because they trap heat from the sun in the earth's atmosphere. Since the early 1900s, the increase in greenhouse gases has come from vehicle exhaust, pollutants from factories and power plants, emissions from agriculture, and more. This piece also focuses on environmental justice because polluting factories tend to be near the homes of people of color.
Thank you to Cerise Manns and her daughter for modeling for this artwork!
Here's the data shared around the border of this piece:
According to the World Health Organization, approximately 7 million people die yearly from air pollution. The health effects include: Increase in frequency and severity of asthma, chronic bronchitis common when living near power plants and factories, correlation between burning fossil fuels and cancer rates.
Increased carbon dioxide in the air = increased growing period for plants = more days of high pollen count. Between 1980-2011, $9 billion of soybeans and corn were lost in the United States because of air pollution.

Should We Build Another Ark?
Graphite and pan pastel on multimedia paper
42 X 60
March 2022
Climate change has caused an increase in flooding events that result from hurricane storm surge, record rainfall, warming oceans, melting glaciers, and higher tides. In 2021, record and intense rainfall caused flooding that killed hundreds of people around the world and billions of dollars in damage and destruction. In China alone, 815,000 people had to be evacuated from their homes. Flooding also creates environmental disasters in the form of raw sewage, leaked toxic chemicals, runoff from hazardous waste sites and factory farms, and polluted drinking water. Miami sometimes floods on a sunny day!
Thank you to my nephew, Alex Pratt and Courtney Phillips for being such great models for this artwork!
Here's the data shared around the border of this piece:
Climate change increases flood risk in these key ways: Heavier precipitation, warm rains induce faster and earlier snowmelt, more frequent hurricanes whip up storm surge, higher seas from warmer oceans and melting glaciers, high tide flooding doubled in the U.S. in 30 years. Record rainfall in 2021 caused multiple rivers to overflow causing death and destruction: Germany (242 died), China (398 died), Western Canada (6 died), Hurricane Ida (50 died from flooding).
Graphite and pan pastel on multimedia paper
42 X 60
March 2022
Climate change has caused an increase in flooding events that result from hurricane storm surge, record rainfall, warming oceans, melting glaciers, and higher tides. In 2021, record and intense rainfall caused flooding that killed hundreds of people around the world and billions of dollars in damage and destruction. In China alone, 815,000 people had to be evacuated from their homes. Flooding also creates environmental disasters in the form of raw sewage, leaked toxic chemicals, runoff from hazardous waste sites and factory farms, and polluted drinking water. Miami sometimes floods on a sunny day!
Thank you to my nephew, Alex Pratt and Courtney Phillips for being such great models for this artwork!
Here's the data shared around the border of this piece:
Climate change increases flood risk in these key ways: Heavier precipitation, warm rains induce faster and earlier snowmelt, more frequent hurricanes whip up storm surge, higher seas from warmer oceans and melting glaciers, high tide flooding doubled in the U.S. in 30 years. Record rainfall in 2021 caused multiple rivers to overflow causing death and destruction: Germany (242 died), China (398 died), Western Canada (6 died), Hurricane Ida (50 died from flooding).

No Place to Hide!
Graphite, pan pastel, and ink on mixed media paper
42 X 48
August 2022
Deforestation is the loss of forests through the clearing of land for ranching and farming, but also to expand cities and roads because of overpopulation, and forest fires. The consequences of this are huge. Trees are the lungs of our planet, taking in carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen and water vapor. The loss of trees contributes to climate change and global warming. And it destroys the habitat for many species of animals, birds, and insects. Without the trees, they are forced to find other places to live, eat, and breed. Because of that, there has been an increase in humans being exposed to infectious diseases carried by these animals, birds, and insects.
Thank you to Paula and Beautiful for modeling for this artwork!
Here's the data shared around the border of this piece:
Deforestation creates the conditions for deadly pathogens to spread to people: Malaria, Lyme Disease, Yellow Fever, Nipah, Lassa, and Zika Viruses. Other effects of deforestation: Climate imbalance and climate change, increase in global warming, increase in greenhouse gas emissions, soil erosion, floods, wildlife extinction and habitat loss, acidic oceans, decline in quality of life of people, future food insecurity, and loss of biodiversity. Forest cover on earth has decreased to all-time low of 30%. We lose approximately 18 million acres each year: 10% from paper/wood products and 90% from cattle ranching, soybean farming, and palm oil plantations.
Graphite, pan pastel, and ink on mixed media paper
42 X 48
August 2022
Deforestation is the loss of forests through the clearing of land for ranching and farming, but also to expand cities and roads because of overpopulation, and forest fires. The consequences of this are huge. Trees are the lungs of our planet, taking in carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen and water vapor. The loss of trees contributes to climate change and global warming. And it destroys the habitat for many species of animals, birds, and insects. Without the trees, they are forced to find other places to live, eat, and breed. Because of that, there has been an increase in humans being exposed to infectious diseases carried by these animals, birds, and insects.
Thank you to Paula and Beautiful for modeling for this artwork!
Here's the data shared around the border of this piece:
Deforestation creates the conditions for deadly pathogens to spread to people: Malaria, Lyme Disease, Yellow Fever, Nipah, Lassa, and Zika Viruses. Other effects of deforestation: Climate imbalance and climate change, increase in global warming, increase in greenhouse gas emissions, soil erosion, floods, wildlife extinction and habitat loss, acidic oceans, decline in quality of life of people, future food insecurity, and loss of biodiversity. Forest cover on earth has decreased to all-time low of 30%. We lose approximately 18 million acres each year: 10% from paper/wood products and 90% from cattle ranching, soybean farming, and palm oil plantations.

What do the North Pole and Florida have in Common?
Graphite, pastel, and ink on mixed media paper
72 X 48
September 2022
The ocean is a hugely effective way to slow down global warming because it absorbs 90% of the heat and energy that comes from greenhouse gas emissions, including carbon. However, this is heating up the ocean, which causes the water to expand, and when combined with the melting glaciers and ice sheets, is causing sea-level rise. The warming ocean also exacerbates extreme weather by fueling storms like hurricanes that cause so much devastation, flooding, and more. The impact to human populations around the world is already being felt, as people living in coastal and low-lying areas are losing their homes and livelihoods. Sea-level rise is just one critical impact of warming ocean temperatures. Ocean acidification and marine heatwaves are causing a loss of marine biodiversity and impacts the ecosystems that marine life thrives in.
I decided to pose for this image myself because of the many years I lived in Florida and roamed the beaches of the Gulf coast. As Sea-level rises, Florida is in grave danger, as are the polar bears who inhabit the Arctic region.
Graphite, pastel, and ink on mixed media paper
72 X 48
September 2022
The ocean is a hugely effective way to slow down global warming because it absorbs 90% of the heat and energy that comes from greenhouse gas emissions, including carbon. However, this is heating up the ocean, which causes the water to expand, and when combined with the melting glaciers and ice sheets, is causing sea-level rise. The warming ocean also exacerbates extreme weather by fueling storms like hurricanes that cause so much devastation, flooding, and more. The impact to human populations around the world is already being felt, as people living in coastal and low-lying areas are losing their homes and livelihoods. Sea-level rise is just one critical impact of warming ocean temperatures. Ocean acidification and marine heatwaves are causing a loss of marine biodiversity and impacts the ecosystems that marine life thrives in.
I decided to pose for this image myself because of the many years I lived in Florida and roamed the beaches of the Gulf coast. As Sea-level rises, Florida is in grave danger, as are the polar bears who inhabit the Arctic region.

It's So Hot That My Eyeballs Are Melting!
Graphite, watercolor, and ink on mixed media paper
78 X 48
October 2022
The summer of 2022 tied with 2020 as the warmest summer on record globally. We now have twice as many days of record hot temperatures than we have record low temperatures. In the past, there was a 1:1 ratio of record hot to record cold. This extreme heat is putting human beings, as well as animals and plant species at risk. Elderly people, young children, and those with chronic conditions are especially at risk. The planet is warming and the oceans are warming. Climate change is a runaway train that is going to take drastic measures to correct...
Thank you to Rhode Island College Professor Emeritus Don Smith for modeling for this artwork. He was my painting teacher way back in the 1970s!
Graphite, watercolor, and ink on mixed media paper
78 X 48
October 2022
The summer of 2022 tied with 2020 as the warmest summer on record globally. We now have twice as many days of record hot temperatures than we have record low temperatures. In the past, there was a 1:1 ratio of record hot to record cold. This extreme heat is putting human beings, as well as animals and plant species at risk. Elderly people, young children, and those with chronic conditions are especially at risk. The planet is warming and the oceans are warming. Climate change is a runaway train that is going to take drastic measures to correct...
Thank you to Rhode Island College Professor Emeritus Don Smith for modeling for this artwork. He was my painting teacher way back in the 1970s!

Clean Water is a Sacred Right!
Graphite, pan pastel, and ink on mixed media paper
72 X 60
December 2022
There are 2.7 million miles of pipelines crisscrossing the United States carrying fossil fuels to heat and cool our homes, operate our vehicles, and power our industrial plants. These pipelines also carry other hazardous liquids. Half were built between the 1950s and the 1970s, making them more than 50 years old and susceptible to corrosion that could cause leaks and ruptures. Since the 1980s, there have been almost 8,000 spills, fires, and explosions that have caused death, injury, and billions of dollars in environmental damages. This also is an issue of environmental injustice. Some pipelines cross sovereign indigenous lands, violating treaties and threatening homes and water sources. In actuality, there have been numerous incidents in which pipeline disasters have caused contamination of water supplies and ground water. The moral of the story is that there are now more sustainable energy sources and that's where substantial investments should be made!
Thank you to Danielle Smith, a member of the Narragansett tribe in Southern Rhode Island, for modeling for this piece!!
Graphite, pan pastel, and ink on mixed media paper
72 X 60
December 2022
There are 2.7 million miles of pipelines crisscrossing the United States carrying fossil fuels to heat and cool our homes, operate our vehicles, and power our industrial plants. These pipelines also carry other hazardous liquids. Half were built between the 1950s and the 1970s, making them more than 50 years old and susceptible to corrosion that could cause leaks and ruptures. Since the 1980s, there have been almost 8,000 spills, fires, and explosions that have caused death, injury, and billions of dollars in environmental damages. This also is an issue of environmental injustice. Some pipelines cross sovereign indigenous lands, violating treaties and threatening homes and water sources. In actuality, there have been numerous incidents in which pipeline disasters have caused contamination of water supplies and ground water. The moral of the story is that there are now more sustainable energy sources and that's where substantial investments should be made!
Thank you to Danielle Smith, a member of the Narragansett tribe in Southern Rhode Island, for modeling for this piece!!