Disappearing Heritage of the Native American - Robin

I had to create a digital and traditional artwork depicting my version of the disappearing heritage of the Native American. While contemplating this assignment, I though of it in terms of growing up in the south bay. I am a 3rd generation San Josean. There is such a huge difference in the San Jose of my childhood and what it is now. I have heard stories about when my grandparents had a ranch on McLaughlin Avenue and how much it had changed through to my childhood. I feel so connected to this place and I can not help but think of how the Native Americans must have felt/feel about how their home has changed without their consent. At least we had a choice when we turned this amazing farming land into the maze of business parks and hazard waste sites.

I played with the idea of was/is overlays but didn't want to use the required materials. I liked the idea of portraying  the land being turned on it's head by the thieving white man. I found a very appropriate quote by Chief Seattle. Shockingly (NOT!) there are not a plethora of poems or quotes about how wonderful it is to steak the land and heritage from people. I'm shocked only because it happens all the time by people so proud of their actions that you'd think they would be writing epic verses honoring themselves for their gall.
Okay, back to the artwork. The verses were typed on paths in Illustrator. The sky image was a photo that was desaturated. The Indian side of the drawing was all done by hand in watercolor (don't laugh!) with the once semi-mighty Guadalupe river proudly flowing through the scene. These days it isn't much to look at all contained in cement canals. I copied that image for the other side, broken up via live trace and the bottom bit removed. The cityscape was also a photograph found on line. I use live trace and removed the sky and other bits necessary to create an image that used the same sky and mountain range as the Indian side.

 

polka dot girl~

Morning sketch book. A mix media illustration portrait of polka dot girl in the rain. The source of inspiration are photos and outfits that my darling daughter has worn throughout her life. While they are in no way intended to be realistic portraits of her and I am just playing with portrait illustration that is made up, the inspiration comes from her and photos taken of her and the crazy sense of fashion she has. She had always had an eye for color, detail and fashion from a very, very early age, it's very cool. Her desire to make outfits is just one thing I had to surrender to having a very independent little girl who has had her own mind almost since birth. I love how children express themselves in their dress, it just makes me smile. I always bought these cute outfits and never knew how they'd manifest as an outfit on her, early on I would fight it and then just realized it was her and really important to her . My dream is to illustrate a few children's books...hmmm? Dream..., but it doesn't hurt to dream!
Lori Singer