“Sunday’s Child” (portrait of Ivory Tate Vincent).
Pencil, pastel, & drybrush. 2026
“But Sunday’s child is fair & wise/ and good & gay”
—–“Traditions of Devonshire” (rec. 1836/1838).
In titling this painting (which will, of course, be a gift to my pal, Jacki Shelton Green…who just happens to be our state’s intrepid Poet Laureate)? To be honest, I wanted to avoid the cliches of ancestresses/ancient mothers/wisdom/anything to do with being elderly/african-american/blahblahblah……….
For one thing, I’m neither female nor black nor particularly elderly (I know,,, BIG reveal), so I don’t presume to know what hasn’t been and never will be my experience. I DO, however, know that Jaki, her mother, and Jaki’s daughters are/were essentially joyful people……which gives me a great deal of hope every time I’ve painted them.
I’ve now painted 3 generations of Jaki’s family, just as I did with Sewanee’s Chitty women……grandmother, daughter, and grand-daughters.
It give me a great deal of satisfaction, for various reasons…but then, I’m highly aware (and have been, since I was 15 or so) of having been raised in a matriarchy.