Hands of Justice Canvas Print

Three years ago, I was commissioned to paint the official portrait of my friend, Judge J.S. "Steve" Daniel, to hang in the courtroom where he presided as Judge. During the photo shoot in preparation for the painting, I took a photo of his hands as they were folded on his lap. Since then, I've had that image in mind for a painting. This is a charcoal study of the image.

As a toddler, I sat underneath quilts in large frames as my mother, grandmothers, and their friends created delicate, feathery patterns with their stitches. Gazing up at the “stained glass” fabric, I watched them push their tiny quilting needles through the layers of muslin, cottony batting, and colorful squares. That is my earliest memory of beautiful art. Following their lead, I grew up sewing and quilting, and many years later, I began to explore drawing and painting, studying under the guidance of Susan Truex. I enjoy painting images of people and things that are important to me, whether it’s a still life of eggs or rusty heaps, portraits of family and friends, or landscapes of lush fields or dark alley ways. I am fascinated by...