| The Grandmother |
View |
A 4'10" tall, soft-spoken, mild mannered,
no nonsense grandmother, who
lived in the community in which I grew
up inspired this portrait. A small black
and white photograph and memorable
images perceived as a child aided in the
creation of this figure. This individual was the community seamstress. She made most of
the dresses that many women and young girls wore. My sisters and I also wore her fashions...
More >> |
|
| The Madonna |
View |
Many of my paintings begin following an uninterrupted semi-quiet period of background music from my southern rural childhood, which was both secular and sacred. The serenity and the beat of the music allow me to have the mental clarity that I need to capture the perceived image. In the case of The Madonna, what started out as a palette knife oil painting of a female turned into this abstract rendering of a woman holding a baby. Neither a date nor time is embedded in the work...
More >> |
|
| The Poetess |
%201981%2018x24.jpg)
View |
This portrait was inspired by a young woman wearing a striking headdress and reading her very own book of poetry during the mid 1970's. Her clear eyes, smooth tan skin, and her sense of concern for African American culture combined to keep her audience attentive. It would not be very long before I began visualizing this face and painted it. As I reflect back, I think perhaps the headdress is exaggerated. Although a few decades have passed since that day, I remember her as an African American cultural icon.
More >> |
|
| They're
Grand Momma's Flowers |
View |
No doubt there are moments when all of us have observed a scene where we have wanted to preserve the moment. This image is a reflection of such an event. One summer morning, I was visiting in my sister’s home when my brother, who lives in the same city and whose wife was away at work, called and asked me to come to his home and stay with his granddaughter while he attended an important meeting. This small three year old child, who shares my name, was spending the summer with her grandparents. I agreed to take care of my grand-niece and remarked that I was pleased to be in charge...
More >> |
|
| Yoruba Woman & Child |
View |
The icon of a woman and child is global.
Down through the ages whether shown
abstractly or realistically it has been the
focus motif of a great many imagemakers.
This woman and child image
was first photographed and then painted.
In the early 1970's a bus carrying a load
of teachers touring southwest Nigeria
stopped at a stand near the town of Ede.
Sitting at the stand on a low stool was a
woman, who appeared to be the mother or grandmother
of a little girl...
More >> |
|
|
|
