Mom and Baby Karen Buffalo 1943

Tempered gouache & 22k gold leaf on panel 3″ x 3″, 2008

About the piece:
A much-anticipated first grandchild on both sides of the family, all the grandparents doted on my sister. (Also, I just loved my mother’s and sister’s outfits).

I have always had an interest in Medieval and early Renaissance art.  This work, specifically the predellas of altarpieces, influenced my earlier doll series with their narratives, gold frames and painted borders.   Those themes became more pronounced when I started working from vintage family photos.  The idea of a narrative, domestic scenes, the myths and iconography of biblical and apocryphal stories in comparison to my own family story was compelling.