Family Colors, 12x12in Oil on panel
$1250 Framed in a gallery-quality handmade frame 
Available In Studio
 
About this oil:
 
Family Colors is an oil painting that honors heritage, identity, and the quiet strength carried through generations. The painting depicts a Native American woman in profile, wrapped in a treasured family heirloom blanket. Rather than functioning simply as clothing, the blanket here becomes a symbol—of lineage, memory, and continuity—woven into the very presence of the figure.
 
I wanted to embrace an impressionistic, painterly approach in this piece. Instead of clearly defining the woman’s face, I suggested them instead, allowing posture, color, and gesture to convey character and emotion. By avoiding literal detail, the focus shifts from individual likeness to something more universally emotional: dignity, pride, and the deep sense of belonging that comes from ancestry and tradition.
 
I used color to play a central role in communicating this story. Warm tones—rusts, oranges, and reds—pulse through the composition, balanced by cooler blues and grays that provide contrast and structure. These color relationships echo the emotions I wanted to convey: warmth and resilience, history and presence. The heirloom blanket anchors the piece visually and symbolically, its bold hues and pattern acting as a bridge between this woman’s family and her present day life.
 
I kept the brushwork loose and expressive in order to convey energy and emotion. I didn’t want the painting to narrate a specific story, but instead to evoke the feeling of heritage carried forward through generations.
 
For me, this painting is less about documentation and more about respect—acknowledging the power of tradition, the beauty of inheritance, and the pride that comes from knowing where one belongs. Through bold color, textured paint, and a simplified, thoughtful composition, Family Colors celebrates heritage as something vibrant, enduring, and very much alive.