Caribbean

The Caribbean-influenced paintings were first shown in a solo show, Tropical Topics, at Fondo del Sol Visual Arts Center in Washington, DC. Three experiences came together to conjure these paintings. They evolved after I was a visiting artist in Bridgetown, Barbados for Partners of the Americas, an exchange program with the United States Information Agency. In turn, I invited a Barbadian artist back for a stay at Russell Sage College, where I was teaching. I also took a class in Mexican Culture and Civilization in Merida, Mexico, through Peace University, Raleigh, NC. It was my introduction to the Yucatan and Mayan archaeology. All this and a visit to New Orleans, with its strong Caribbean influence, coalesced to produce these paintings with the intense color and the magical atmosphere of the tropics. I was interested in images from Mayan mythology, the Chattel houses in Barbados, and the lush, exotic vegetation.