Hi everyone. This is my latest entry into "blog world". The piece that you're looking at is titled "The Farewell". I displayed it recently at a gallery here in NC. At first my intentions were to emphasize the beginning of the middle passage. As I continued work on this piece it suddenly dawned upon me this one event might have been prevented. If you'll notice, the figures at the lower right hand side are being led into the rowboats by 3-4 slavers.(I apologize if you can't see them) There are at least 10-15 Africans being led in chains. Now imagine if the male figure at the right had taken action to help the chained Africans, the story may have had a different ending. Collectively they outnumbered the slavers. Yet he just stands by and watches. The female is obviously distraught and the child is understandably puzzled by the scene transpiring below him. One could almost put this scene into the context where we all have or may have stood by while a crime or some injustice is taking place right in front of us and we do nothing. We take the not my business attitude. These people were someone's son or daughter or even someones' mother or father. The male figure at the top may have adopted the attitude of "not my business" or was either too frightened to speak up or take action.Sounds familiar huh? And yes old friends I know one has to be careful also. I don't want to put a label on just the descendants of slaves but to everyone whose stood by and watched. I'm thinking of a quote and I don't remember the author, but it said something about evil happens when good men(and women) do nothing. Later