In the Collected Marvels, Louisiana Roots series, the patterns featured on vessels and background textiles are collected from distant lands, either via travels or books. By contrast, all florae sprouting from the vessel are native to Louisiana, plucked- sometimes figuratively, sometimes literally- from my own backyard. Building on similar ideas from previous series, these paintings are visual musings on identity, travel, growth-- where we come from, what we collect, how we grow. No matter how much exploring we do, how many new ideas we accumulate and showcase, our roots remain in our place of origin.

This painting, Collected Marvels: Portugal, is the first in which every element— not only the wallpaper and vase patterns but also the flora and fauna— were visually collected on a trip to Portugal. All the floral elements except the pink pistil at the top are from acanthus plants. The pink pistil is from a hibiscus species I saw on a walk in Lisbon. The vase pattern features stylized acanthus leaves (color palette inspired by a William Morris pattern) and the background depicts some of Portugal’s famous “azulejo” tiles in their signature blue.

Watercolor and ink on Arches cold-press paper, 2020.

Custom-framed to 24x30” (paper dimensions alone: 18x24").

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