America

SOLD

14” x 11”

Oil and acrylic on panel

I painted America in the days around the 2021 presidential inauguration. At the risk of revealing a little about my political leanings I'll say that the recent inauguration felt like a time of hope. The Blue Ridge Mountains loosely depicted in “America” are hazy with nostalgia, steadfast bystanders to the strife and prosperity of the generations of humans that come and go around it. It seems they are indifferent to the undulating wave of human happenings, too grand and ancient, but they are not. Who we put in charge does affect the air and water and wildlife that compose these and all mountains. They breathe a sigh of relief when stewards are at the helm, heralding better days ahead. The reddish, vertical element in the painting is a symbol of pride in a moment where I felt a renewed sense of dignity as an American after the dark days prior.