A Painting about Democracy
A Collaboration with USNA and Art in Embassies
In the dawn of 2023, I was approached to make a painting to be donated by USNA to the Art in Embassies program (PINCH ME). The prompt?
Democracy.
(no pressure!)
The Process
The process involved quiet reflection, writing, working with the U.S. Naval Academy’s public affairs team to capture photographs, and about three months of off and on painting, allowing it to develop slowly.
The theme of "democracy" is not an easy one to encapsulate in a painting. From concept to execution, this challenged me (in the BEST way, especially since most photos had midshipmen wearing masks, so faces had to be made up!).
My goal for this piece was to find a familiar moment that could translate beyond the walls of the Naval Academy, and the ritual of morning colors felt like the right one. It's a daily commitment, requiring the people to show up to and protect, it's as resilient as it is delicate.
Painting Notes
I started with an olive green underpainting, an atypical but intuitive decision. No painting risk is guaranteed to work, but that one definitely did and provided a really calm and soft ground on which to build a painting.
I really wanted to emphasize the teamwork and relationship between the figures and decided to keep the background to be a bit more vague to focus on the relationship between the people. Ultimately, it's the people who protect and defend democracy, a daily choice.
This will be a donation from the myself and the U.S. Naval Academy to the Art in Embassies program, and I cannot begin to express my gratitude for being included.
See below for the final piece, and a concise write up.
“Morning Colors”
18”x24” oil on linen panel
Democracy is an enormous topic, one that seems hardly possible to wrap up in a single image. I reflected on it quite a bit- it is something that is collectively upheld, resilient, malleable, but also can be threatened and must be fiercely protected.
Considering this, a few USNA specific moments came to mind. Herndon, the oath, colors, and log pt. However, since the intent of this piece is to be hung outside of the insular walls of the Naval Academy, “morning colors” rose to the top for various reasons:
First, it’s recognizable and familiar to anyone working in a diplomatic role whether or not they’ve been to Annapolis.
Deeper, the daily ritual of it supports the same commitment to democracy each person makes in the nature of this work. It’s a collective effort to perform every day, faces are anonymous yet individual hands required to carry out the role. It is a reminder of the sacrifices which made it possible.
The color palette is natural but soft, with an emphasis on the relationship and teamwork between the people, painted in an impressionistic style that nods to the transience of the moment.
