Medium:
Mixed Media: Acrylic hand painted black and white archival photo mounted and finished on a wood panel.

Dimensions: 24” x 18” 

Year Completed: 2020

Artist Statement:

This painting was created in July of 2020. I have painted Harriet Tubman (1822-1913) numerous times since 2016. She gives me courage by her example. I admire the way she trusted God and followed the North Star to gain her freedom from slavery and then went back into danger to free other slaves. She was a general in the Civil War. She was a strategic thinker. She founded a home for elderly African Americans. To have her picture on our currency would go a long way toward irecognizing our countries black history.

 In Carry On I overpainted a black and white public domain photograph. My observational skills are heightened in looking closely at the photograph. I read that in an ad offering $100 for her capture, Harriet Tubman was described as about 27, of a chestnut color, fine looking, and about 5 feet high. I was inspired by that description. As a white artist I researched ways to paint dark skin. It seemed profound to me that you use the same colors that you use to mix white skin tones, you just add more pigment.

I believe we must carry on her work of getting ourselves and others free, carry on working for justice and carry on trusting goodness and the North Star to guide us.