Landscapes
When the weekend arrived, my family went up river to visit my aunt Bea at her farm. In the country I witnessed a way of life that was unconsciously disappearing. In this environment I could easily imagine my maternal grandmother’s life that she shared with me, experiencing the river at all its stages, the work and pleasure of fresh produce, the mystique of the old homes, and the power of weather. Here I learned my connection to the land of my ancestors.
Fireflies Oil - 20” x 24”
Fireflies are connected to folklore, myths, and magic. Fireflies are associated with celebrations of the summer moon and Faeries. Appearing usually at twilight there’s an ethereal quality to fireflies, silently moving around, blinking like beacons in the dark. These luminous glowing creatures are also associated with the ideas of knowledge, enlightenment, clear-seeing and progress.
Oak Cluster Oil - 12” x 12”
There are over 1000 live oaks in New Orleans City Park and 249 of them are registered with the Live Oak Society. It is said to be the largest live oak grove in the world. Live oaks are so unique and is an important part of our history materially and symbolically. Some of the trees are hundreds of years old and alive before the arrival of the first Europeans.
Cypress Oil - 14” x 12”
The official tree of Louisiana chosen for its historical and economic importance to the state. Unlike most conifers (which are evergreens), the bald cypress is deciduous. Bald cypress prefers wet, swampy soils on riverbanks, floodplains, or wet depressions, but are widely adaptable.
When it comes to sacred symbols, it's difficult to find one as universal as the cypress tree and its associated symbology. As a potent reminder of life and death, the cypress tree stands between the worlds, literally and figuratively pointing toward immortality and hope as a powerful response to human mourning.
Buck’s Oak Oil - 20” x 30”
A pupil of Richard Clague, New Orleans' first major landscapist, William Henry Buck became his successor in the late 19th Century. He specialized in paintings of dramatic oak trees, adopting his teacher's compositional format. I admire his work and this painting is my homage to William.