"72 hours" - a portrait of Betty White & Rue McClanahan

Blanche: “AIDS is not a bad person’s disease, Rose. It is not God punishing people for their sins!” This portrait of Betty White & Rue McClanahan as Rose & Blanche is inspired by the episode "72 hours" from the show "The Golden Girls". It's about courage, speaking up, when everyone else stays silent, about compassion and my gratitude for those using their voice. In the episode that aired in February 1990 Rose receives a letter from the hospital where she had her gallbladder removed. They warn her that during her transfusion she might have been exposed to blood containing HIV antibodies. As the ladies accompany her to the hospital to get tested, Blanche comforts a very frightened Rose by explaining that she too had the test and knows what her friend is going through. While Rose endures waiting the requisite 72 hours to receive her test results, tensions run high as the women deal with fear and confusion surrounding HIV+AIDS. ***Digital Mixed Media Painting | High Res 8K JPG file