“Melancholy” African American portraits There is a sweet poetry

There is a sweet poetry to musical improvisation

What I am capturing here is that energy

intelligence

taking a quick break from the tolls of motherhood

Lorde understood this all too well and her powerful words hold as true now as they were over thirty years when she uttered them

“Melancholy” African American portraits There is a sweet poetry18x24 oil on canvas. I have always been fascinated by how ballerinas can contort their bodies in ways that seem to defy muscle and bone. Art meets rigorous discipline and skill. The narrative literally resides in the body and ballerinas literally take us on a journey via their performance. I tried to capture this sentiment with pallet knife and oil paint on this canvas.