My jazz portrait series has allowed me to honor some of the great legends of jazz. Featured in the series are renowned jazz musicians: Billie Holiday, Charlie Parker, Thelonious Monk, Teddy Wilson, Lester Young, Bessie Smith, Duke Ellington, and Rahsaan Roland Kirk, to name a few.
In my artwork I have tried to capture the energy and raw emotion that these American icons have shared with us. It was a privilege to do these portraits, playing the music as I worked, researching lives and challenging myself to try and infuse the work with the energy I felt from these great musicians and performers. Although I used many materials to create this series, the sampling of pieces pictured here are ceramic as well as cast paper reliefs collaged with photos, colored paper, and fabric.
