Story Collages
Bottle Tree Collages
Bottle Tree Collage
Bottle Tree collages are an African tradition that came to the Caribbean and the Americas through the Trans-atlantic Slave Trade. Art historian, Robert Farris Thompson traces the history of bottle trees to the Bakongo people, whose homeland is near the mouth of the Congo River. This tradition traveled to Trinidad, Barbados and the American mainland. In the south, in particular, enslaved Africans...and their descendants placed shiny, colored bottles on branches of trees to harness the ancestral spirits. My bottle tree collage is a testament to the history, perserverance and resiliency of the African spirit. Bottle tree collages are a visual image of our ancestral practices and serve to connect us with ancestral energy. Displaying a bottle tree collage has a 3-fold purpose: 1) Honor those who came before us; 2) Give thanks for the work our ancestors did and the lessons they left; and 3) Ask for their continued presence in our lives as guides/spiritial warriors.
Ordinary Queens
Ordinary Queens is a collage that shows images of African American females who have touched lives and made a difference in ordinary and extraordinary ways. This is a tribute to the diversity, beauty and nurturing spirit of the Black woman.
Obama Collage
Obama Collages
This collage is entitled Tribute to a Trailblazer: President Barack Obama. It features many different images of President Obama, and world-wide reactions and responses to his election. It is a collage that captures history in the making. This is a welcome print to hang on your wall, or to display on your table, office or home.