Children of Eve

Newsweek magazine reported in 1988 that we are all descendants of one black woman in East Africa 50,000 to 70,000 years ago – the Real Eve. In 2002 Discovery channel followed up with a video that traced, using DNA research, Eve’s migration out of Africa and subsequent migrations by her children to all parts of the world. The video ended with two people in Chicago – a Native American man and a woman of Greek descent – each doing a cheek swab and discovering they have a common ancestry. What a lovely image of the one human family occupying planet earth!

In 2005, National Geographic and IBM teamed up to launch The Genographic Project," a multi-year research effort using DNA as a tool to map how humankind populated the planet." They began offering members of the public an opportunity to trace their genetic lineage back thousands of years using an anonymous process. I chose to participate in National Geographic’s project because resources paid for processing my sample go to further research and to help prevent extinction of indigenous peoples.

I have done my cheek swabs. My samples have been received and batched. My DNA has been extracted. I now await analysis of the results regarding my matrilineal heritage. These results will provide the backbone for my next creative project - a series of paintings about my ancestral connections back to genetic Eve.

I have spent hours enjoying the incredible information available at the website: https://genographic.nationalgeographic.com/genographic/journey.html I encourage you to go to their website and peruse Atlas of Human Journey and Globe of Human History.

Workshop Announcement
During the latter part of May and early June I’ll be offering a four-session multi-media, multi-modal opportunity for you to get your creative juices flowing. Creativity is Your Birthright meets once a week in Eugene and addresses questions such as: Who are you? Where are you in your life? What’s next? If you are interested, contact me via email.

My First Museum Show

My first museum show opened in the Grants Pass Museum of Art on Friday, April 2, 2010. Despite a rainstorm, 400 people came during the three-hour event. That’s rather impressive for a town of 32,000 people.

While viewing Pilgrimage is a holistic experience, when viewers speak to me as the artist, they tend to focus on a particular impression:

• It’s anthropological.
• The symbols are powerful.
• All of your patterns and textures give the impression of fabric.
• There’s so much movement and rhythm in each painting.
• The feelings being expressed are touching me deeply.
• Clearly, you have something to say.
• You have captured the essence of each place.
• Your shapes are totally original and the colors are vibrant.
• It’s so overwhelming I’ll have to come back.
• Thank you for sharing this work.

This was the third opening of Pilgrimage and each experience has been different for me. I was scared at the first reception in the Hallie Brown Ford Gallery in Roseburg. Pilgrimage reflects so much of my interior that I felt totally exposed. I was grateful that people were friendly and willing to open themselves to abstract art.

The second reception at the Chessman Gallery in Lincoln City was exciting. Being close to the metropolitan center of Portland, people were accustomed to contemporary works. Viewers were so effusive in their affirmation of the quality of my artwork that I was able to begin distancing myself from its personal content.

With two openings behind me, I felt comfortable and relaxed in Grants Pass. I enjoyed meeting many local artists as well as members of the art department from Rogue Community College. Their interest in the creative process made the experience of giving my first official “artist talk” a positive one.

One of my granddaughters asked, “What’s next, Grandma?” I'm wondering that myself!