Mary's Portfolio

The Bele is a traditional folk dance from Trinidad and Tobago with African roots, performed by dancers in flowing white and burgundy dresses. This dynamic mixed media collage captures the energy and cultural significance of this ancestral dance form that connects the Caribbean to its African heritage.

An energetic, abstract composition filled with vibrant carnival imagery including colorful costumes, feathers, and dancing figures. The title celebrates the physical expression and joyful movement that defines Caribbean carnival culture, where the body becomes an instrument of celebration.

Breadfruit first came to the Caribbean in 1793, when Captain William Bligh of the ship HMS Providence brought young plants from Tahiti in the South Pacific to provide cheap, plentiful food for enslaved peoples, to prevent persistent famine and food shortages in the sugar growing colonies.

The scarlet Ibis is the national bird of Trinidad, grace the mangrove-lined coastlines of Trinidad and Tobago. They spend their days foraging in shallow bays and estuary beaches, using their long beaks to probe the watery sand for food. In the evening the flock flies back to the mangrove swamps to roost.

I saw a tiny photograph of a rapper; I was taken by his expression of pride in his stance and costume; however what I took from his golden grill smile was both arrogance and vulnerability.

The British West Indies Regiment (1915 - 1921) (BWIR) was a unit of the British Army during the First World War, formed of volunteers from British colonies in the West Indies. The regiment was fifteen thousand strong, with two hundred and sixty two men losing their lives overseas.

Bamboo is intertwined into Trinidad's culture, clumps line many roadsides in north Trinidad, and can easily be spotted on the rolling hills of central and south Trinidad.

Carnival costumes are often dramatic, wearers also want to feel beautiful and select their choices from stylized drawings that may or may not be a suitable representation of the designer's intentions.

Mangoes, not indigenous to Trinidad and Tobago, were introduced by Portuguese explorers in the 15th century and later by indentured servants from India. The fruit has since naturalized, leading to a wide variety of locally developed cultivars and making mangoes a central part of the islands' culture and cuisine.

The game of marbles, known locally in Trinidad and Tobago as pitch, was a very popular traditional game for boys, though its practice has declined. It involves using a shooter marble to knock other marbles out of a designated area or a hole in the ground. The game features a unique terminology, some British in origin and others influenced by local East Indian and French Creole languages.

The early costumes in the Trinidad carnival included dramatic performances in poetic speech and miming.

A powerful narrative painting depicting the history of the slave passage to Trinidad through the voices of two calypso performers - the Griot or storyteller

A call to worship by Spiritual Baptists, depicting the rich religious traditions that blend Christian practices with African customs in Caribbean culture

A little Muslim girl fastens her sandals as she leaves a prayer meeting at a mosque. This painting addressed the dialog about immigration and detainment of children at the US border. The painting shows the innocence of a child, who is not responsible and bears no blame for her origins, her religion, or the location of her home.

During a walk on Ocean Beach, San Diego I saw an elderly woman digging in a garbage can for food scraps. She came prepared with gloves and a pair of tongs, she rooted around in discarded food cartons and when she found food, she would toss it out. She was immediately engulfed by an assortment of quarreling birds eager to take part in the feast.

An elderly woman picking callaloo bush to make lunch but she has been interrupted by a phone call. In the background a man works at planting. Callaloo is a thick chowder-like soup made with okra, coconut milk, salted pork or crab and often served with white rice. In Trinidad it is a staple for Sunday lunch.

This painting reflects a memory of my mother who made superb crochet. She often sat on the porch working on something until the sun went down to catch the waning light.

One highlight of the annual Trinidad Carnival is the Panorama steel orchestra, a competition where all steel bands vie for championship. The steel pan was invented in Trinidad, it has multiple musical moods. There are arrangements of classical music to jazz developed specifically for the pan. I have tried to show through color and lighting a jazzy overtone to the composition.

A mother plays with her baby, each delighting in the play of tickling and being tickled.

Beautiful white hostas blooming against a vibrant blue sky, celebrating the natural beauty found in everyday gardens

A curious dog investigating a boot, painted with warm green tones that evoke memories of childhood pets and their playful nature

A vibrant market scene capturing the freshness and authenticity of Caribbean fish vendors, where the catch comes straight from the sea

Traditional Caribbean architecture nestled in lush tropical landscape, representing the warmth and beauty of island living

The Trinidad Carnival masks are derived from many cultures. The Moko Jumbie is one that has its roots in West Africa.

Considered a common weed in Trinidad, Peperomia pellucida grows in clumps, thriving in loose, humid soils. Its local name is Shining Bush probably from its very shiny leaves. Bush Tea comments on how herbal medicine comes from the ways local remedies become the thing of fact. Shining bush is used as an herbal tea for a variety of ailments and conditions.

A stylized ceremonial figure rendered in traditional artistic style, celebrating ancestral heritage and cultural identity.

A luminous floral composition featuring tropical blooms rendered in soft, impressionistic brushstrokes that capture the ethereal beauty of island flowers.

The calypso has African roots in terms of music, structure, and function. Its traditions of improvised songs of self-praise and scorn for others remains in the art form as does the storytelling aspect of the genre. Many years ago, I saw a griot, an African storyteller perform with a shekere (a gourd instrument)- that experience remains with me. Griots in West Africa used them in storytelling. I thought it appropriate to pair the shekere and the calypsonian as griot, and storyteller.