As the 2021 Biden/Harris inauguration was taking place this composition came together quickly and represented both hope (bright feathers) amid chaos (confusingly draped cloth). 

 

Before the inauguration, I was wandering in a "rustic furniture" store in Santa Fe when some peacock feathers caught my eye. I was suddenly flooded with memories of my maternal grandmother 's large brick fireplace which had peacock feathers in a stand on the hearth. They were good memories so I purchased the feathers. 

 

Once back in the studio I struggled to find a composition that worked. I didn't have the right vase, everything I tried looked wrong. I bought some cheap glass vases only to return them a day later. Desperate, I went to a local antique store to look around. There, in a dark corner of the basement, I found a tiny Japanese vase. Instantly I knew it would work. I rushed back to the studio and put the feathers in the vase and voila! 

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The fabric folds were the most challenging part of this painting but in the end they became my favorite.

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"Inauguration Inspiration" was selected for the juried  PSNM 29th National Show during the summer of 2021 at the Millicent Rogers Museum, 504 Millicent Rogers Road, Taos, NM.

 

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