Six Grandfathers'

Artwork Info

Egg tempera on shaped wood icon panel 
12 x 8.5 in. 
Unframed  
© 2026

Built on a base layer of silverpoint and an underpainting made with Midwest earth pigments, the painting depicts a bouquet of deadly nightshade and pink poppies (flowers associated with death, grief, and comfort) in a vase featuring Six Grandfathers, the original name of the mountain now known as Mt. Rushmore. The original name refers to the sixth sacred directions : north south east west above and below.

As a descendant of 19th-century European settlers to the Great Plains, I've been making paintings that explore the histories we often overlook. I'm interested in how truth can persist, even when it's buried. By bringing these stories into view, I hope the work invites reflection on the past and opens space to imagine a better future.