Untitled (Lilies)
Untitled (Lilies), 2025, Modeling Paste on Canvas, 24”x48”x.5”
This sculptural painting made with modeling paste was a quickly executed “devotional” that emerged from my subconscious. Inspired by a previously developed piece that embodied a similar “trumpet” form, this piece was at first meant to complement the other.
As I continued to develop the piece, and in the context of the portraiture emerging from my collection, I realized this piece functions as a portrait of my mother.
Growing up, my mother planted a perennial easter lily at the end of the driveway, which returned every spring during Easter season.
In further researching lilies, I learned that they flourish in Africa, and that those native to the American South were often used by the enslaved to mark the graves of their loved ones.
Being that my mother is deceased, all of this material became deeply relevant not only to my cultural experience, but my personal one.
There is much more to say about lilies, which I will save for another article, but today, being my mother’s birthday, I offer this blog as a tribute to her. Happy 81st birthday mom! Missing you everyday!
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