“The Return of the Judges,” Jerome Stueart, (11 x 15) watercolor, mixed media on paper. 3-24-2025.
Judges are fighting to stop wide sweeping illegal actions of Musk and Trump.
Judges are fighting for us! This is ONE way we fight back. This is ONE group that is fighting for us. But people ARE fighting back–and you are part of that resistance too. Do what you can, find a buddy to help too!
Judges are part of the #resistance. They are doing their best to delay, stop, and to annul the sweeping changes T and E are making to our country’s structure.
When you saw #StarWars for the first time, did you ever imagine becoming a #Jedi? The Empire we now discover is made up of Billionaires and Corporations. The Empire is about money and power and control, aka Capitalism and income inequality.
They don’t care about you, and they now own the Federal government.
But we are the 99% and they are the 1%.
Will you join the resistance? #WelcomeToTheRebellion
“Hope is a Mother Bird Teaching Us How to Fly,” Jerome Stueart, (11 x 15) Watercolor, mixed media on paper.
Relaunching this after putting some words across the bird for clarity. I forget that political cartoons sometimes need words… sometimes. Better without them, perhaps, but in this case, better with.
Bernie Sanders launched rallies across swing states and red states. They are attracting thousands of people in each spot. His goal: teaching us how to handle this current fight, and how to fight back. He is listening to how folks are hurting from the poor decisions made by the Trump administration and their decimation of the structures that support people across America. You can hear some of this in his new video on Instagram.
Sanders is also teaching folks how to not lose hope. I remember his 2016 moment when the bird flew to his podium and was dubbed thereafter as Birdie. It was a sign of Hope. I have imagined that Birdie is back — much larger, and able to instruct a whole flock of people how to fly.
He’s one of many keeping people informed and giving power back to the people.I find myself also listening to AOC, Pete Buttigieg, Chris Murphy, Jasmine Crocket, Sarah McBride, and others tell us what is happening in our government behind the scenes, and how we can fight back.
These people representing us in Congress inspire me. Add them to the political activists outside of Congress and I have feelings of hope.
Hope is not dead. It just needs US to learn to fly.
“Find Joy in the Work,” (11 x 15) watercolor and mixed media on paper. Jerome Stueart.
Happy March (Hare)!
Repurposing and reposting this painting I did from New Years. It’s one of my favorite paintings and it illustrates both what I want to do more of this year– reading, painting, writing, but also my theory on maintaining my sanity right now. Balance paintings that comment on the difficult times we are living through with paintings that show beauty and peace and joy.
Keep doing magic for yourself and those around you in these strange, chaotic times. Find time for joy and relaxation around your strategies and plans for how you deal with the malevolence in the air. Our heroes (you) can’t always be fighting or stressed— our bodies can’t take it for the long haul— and this is a marathon, but it should have nice way stations for rest. Hobbits need Rivendell, after all.
I’ve learned that making Art can calm our hearts and our minds. Try creating something beautiful for yourself and those you love.
I’m trying to balance editorial illustration that feature Orangesides and his Terriers (you know who) with beautiful calming paintings–soul and mind cleansers. Breathe in. Breathe Out. You got this.
Think local. Think Home. Think Chosen Family. Do what we can to those we have around us.
“Hope is a Mother Bird,” Jerome Stueart, (11x 15) watercolor, mixed media on paper.
When I saw that Sen. Bernie Sanders was going to go back into rally mode, and go across the nation, teaching people how to fight oligarchy, I was filled with hope. I’ve also been watching Rep. AOC give instructions and insight over instagram, Youtube, and other social media. Reps Chris Murphy, Jasmine Crocket, have also been trying to help people make sense of what’s happening and give us a game plan of what to do. I hear Pete Buttigieg is possibly going to give weekly talks about what Democrats are doing right now.
All of this is to HELP US—because we are the power in this situation, but we don’t know our powers. We need help to find out HOW to make our voices heard even as votes are happening to take those powers away.
Fight oligarchy. Call your representatives. Join rallies. Educate yourself through these people and other organizations. We can be taught how to fight back. It’s not too late.
This bird–the same bird that flew onto Bernie’s podium in 2016–it’s back. It’s bigger. It’s ready to fight. It is HOPE and HOPE FIGHTS.
This bird in the painting felt so much like it was sitting on a nest– parenting us, helping us hatch. The people, for a moment, when I was sketching, looked like a whole mass of eggs. We are being educated, taught how to fight, and reminded of the powers that we have.
My Birthmother, Laurie, as a spiritualist on stage, listening to the dead who are trying to give her messages to relay to those in the audience. Part of the illustrations for the essay.
My essay, “The Dead Viking My Birthmother Gave Me,” is up over at GEIST Magazine online. It’s an essay about adoption, being queer, being lonely in the Yukon during Winter, and spiritual differences between a birthmother and son that include what one might do with a hunky centuries-old Viking spirit guide, and it’s all true from what I can remember.
Some of the illustrations that were published in the article that I did weren’t able to be put in the online version because of technical difficulties, so here they are:
“Tough Love for Billionaires, or Have We Got an Asteroid for You!” (11 x 15) watercolor, mixed media on paper.
Do we need names on these dinosaurs or can you imagine who they are?
I know the real asteroid in the news has been downgraded from being a concern for Earth, and that’s …WHEW! However, when it comes to metaphorical asteroids, I think we’ve seen how effective our collective action can be. More of us than them. Perhaps Friday will get the attention of a few dinosaurs.
I hope you take a moment to shop only local and small on Feb 28th and not give money to big box stores–really those stores that supported Trump or pulled back their DEI initiatives.
We think we can only affect change through voting, but that restricts us to such few opportunities over several years.
We can make changes through withholding our money. And this affects billionaires and CEOs the most.
Join me on Feb 28 for the Big Economic Blackout and then several others that are planned.
This is a different kind of march, a different kind of protest.
Bezos, Zuckerberg, Musk, Trump, and others need to feel your power too.
Join me this Friday, FEB 28th.
Note: I just cut a blue square out of some paper and it sat there on the painting when I made the photo–so it’s not painted on there. This is why Jerome must learn Photoshop and digital editing.
“Consider the Half-Life of Roses,” Jerome Stueart, (11 x 15) watercolor, watercolor pencil, mixed media on paper.
A satyr in a painting stops his play to smell the roses again before they are gone. My mother keeps dried roses in the kitchen window, and I know they still hold a beautiful smell. So much of the rose lingers after the rose dies. Roses have a long, long half-life. They don’t have to stay beautiful to hold a room spellbound. They give joy long after they can hold their blooms up, or keep their petals on. Old Roses are the most underestimated, and therefore give the most joy when we stop for a moment and smell them. “Oh, it’s still there.” Proving that their influence lasts so much longer than their lives. For years and years and years to come.
Hope you take time this week to enjoy everything around you.
“Falling into the Wrong Hands,” Jerome Stueart, 11 x 15, watercolor, mixed media on paper.
Steady now! We have to call our representatives. We have to rally. This incompetent dismantling of our foundations, the very structure that keeps America working, makes me and the rest of the American People ask—wait, no one can stop them at all?
Republicans refuse to go against Trump, except for a small few.
Pressure them with phone calls. Tell them to keep their cold, dead hands off our programs!
Honorable Representative of Ohio’s 10th District, Mike Turner,
I’m urgently writing you a public letter today because we need your help. Republicans have a chance to stave off the worst damage of a Trump, Vance and Musk presidency, but that chance is slimming. With each new cabinet member approved and sworn in, the American people lose more and more safety, security, and any potential to stop the long term consequences of Trump and Musk’s actions.
Right now, most Republicans are allowing Trump and Musk to fleece the American public. Unelected people have all our financial data, our most sensitive data. Through inaction, Republicans are helping to dismantle programs that Americans need to survive. USAID helped American farmers, American people. Now Medicare, Medicaid, and the Affordable Care Act are set to be cut. We need these programs. Millions of elders, families, and disabled people rely on those programs to survive. Right now, Republicans don’t seem to care.
Mike, we need you to stand up against your party leadership. I know, that seems like career d3ath, but there is nothing to gain by holding out till later, or allowing this to happen unchecked— it will all be gone if you and others do not stand up now. Everyone will remember your inaction.
You were the chair on the Intelligence Committee. You protected us then. Protect us now. They booted you off the committee because they wanted to hand the Ukraine and Europe to Russia. Trump is a backdoor President to allow Putin to threaten Europe unchecked.
YOU can stop him.
Be strong. Go against your party right now. Block their votes so their candidates for cabinet positions cannot be approved. If you don’t, there might not be anything to save later. Even if it it upsets your party, please stop what is happening in Washington.
It doesn’t matter if we are Republican or Democrat or Independent, what is happening is affecting the structure of the United States and is dismantling it to allow Trump and Musk to have absolute power. Please step in. Or there may be nothing left in the aftermath, and you will have no power to act.
Folks, Call your Representative or Senator. Mike Turner’s numbers are on this painting. Make them hear you. Let him know you need his support now, or he won’t have yours. We must have someone in there fighting for all of us. And really, if Congress doesn’t stop Trump, it will become ineffective to stop him in the future.
Bear Witness 