Signs of Life Along the Substratum

Earth Works on Canvas

This series – a milestone effort in my path as a multi-hyphenate artist – has been proudly displayed in these fine locations:

• The Southern Ohio Museum | February -March, 2023
• 934 Gallery @ CMH Airport | April-June, 2022
• Marietta College, Gallery 310 | October-November, 2021

Ingredients in these mixed media works: latex, copper, aluminum, graphite, determination, tenderness, and ancestral dignity on canvas.

Location: Marietta College | Gallery 310 | October 22-November 30, 2021

A very recent return to abstract figurative works that celebrate the Ohio landscape and rich history. Portraits of a different sort…

These first few works for a new series have a main purpose of exploring the beauty of Ohio landscapes, and honoring the history the earth holds. I recently visited Serpent Mound, and have been thinking deeply since then about how the mounds provided safety and shelter for Native tribes. I also learned that Ohio is the birthplace of the Underground Railroad. These mounds may have also kept many Black ancestors safe too. So many layers. My approach to creating this body of work is to create another point of entry into how we choose to perceive, use, and protect these lands. 

I continue to look in wonder at Ohio’s history. In addition to burying their elders, Natives used the land to record stories and displayed knowledge in their alignment of elements with the solstices to note the passing of time and the seasons. I consider farming now, and how the lands were flattened to plant crops, and how this action has eroded our safety from tornadoes and less nutritious soil. I ask as I create; “how can we make a shift to preserve these lands for future generations? Regardless of who owns them, we are all stewards of them, and will all benefit from keeping them as healthy and rich as possible.

This body of work will continue to be explored and
all works together will show at the Portsmouth Museum in early 2023