Elegy for the Woman who Lived Boldly (2025)

Watercolor, Graphite, Collage, Gold Leaf on 11x14" Paper

Grandma Frances, we never met - but you live through me. I’m always told how much I favor you, so I figured, why not collage our faces so we can meet through watercolor and mixed media. Your favorite, Nat King Cole’s lyrics adorn the background of you wearing your 1940s fascinator, while I wear my headwrap in 2025. Your boldness to smile, be fierce, and joyful at a time when this Country tried to strip away our humanity was your protest. That's also why I smile. That’s why I named this piece “Elegy for the Woman Who Lived Boldly” - which happens to my first piece as a Resident Artist at the School of Visual Arts in New York, your favorite city.

Love, your granddaughter - Morgan 💕