Though this portrait revealed itself so clearly in my mind, it had taken a year following its completion for the meaning to begin to reveal itself to me. When analyzing how light and shadow play out in this portrait, this piece feels almost like a premonition. In this portrait my son is almost “sandwiched” between two dark or rough periods in life. Caleb had a very challenging early childhood. He is not biologically of my making…or my husbands. My husbands ex-wife struggles with drug addiction and mental health issues so we have had the great pleasure of raising her child from a previous relationship. Though he had a tumultuous start, he was a very gifted, pleasant, and easy child to raise. 

His adolescent and young adult years were filled with many blessings as his confidence and capabilities blossomed. Shortly after this portrait was created he slammed into one of the most challenging periods of his life so far. But like in this portrait, he wrapped himself in his heritage like a scarf in the cold. He looked back on all that he had learned to from his traditional culture to prepare him for what was to come. As he faces these struggles, knowing it’s out of his control, he’s accepting what lies ahead, greeting it with a bouquet in his hands. That’s not as if to say, facing challenges is easy. The bouquet has a dripping quality, like thorns clenched in his fists, he's trying to hold onto positivity as blood releases down is sleeve. But even so, his cultural gifts have prepared him to keep moving forward, no matter what comes his way. 

Exhibitions:

“Identity” The Atrium at the Bloomington Art Center, Bloomington, MN U.S.A Sept 21- Nov 5, 2023

“Identity” The Edge Center, Big Fork, Minnesota U.S.A July 1 - July 31, 2023

“Identity” Hopkins Center for the Arts, Hopkins MN U.S.A. May 18 -June 17, 2023

“Identity” Great River Arts, Little Falls Minnesota U.S.A. Jan 1- March 1, 2023

“Identity” Northwest Art Center, Minot State University, Minot North Dakota U.S.A Nov 1-Dec. 1, 2022

“Identity” The Whit Gallery, St. Cloud, Minnesota U.S.A March 25 - April 16, 2022

“Identity” Duluth Art Institute, Duluth Minnesota, October 2020 - January 2021

“Identity Portraits” Watermark Art Center, Bemidji Minnesota, January 10th -March 28th, 2020