Red Raven portrays Mary Mitchell Selmore, sometimes known as Mollie Mitchell, a Passamaquoddy elder from Pleasant Point, Maine, and a lifelong basket maker. Mary’s husband was Sopiel Selmore, who for many years was both the chief and wampum keeper of the Passamaquoddy. In describing the idea behind this piece, Gerry says: “I struggled with the design for several weeks and just before I gave up on the idea, I had a dream of a woman standing in a field with numerous red ravens flying about her head. As she walked towards me she was quite composed in their presence and carried herself in perfect harmony with them. They were as much a part of her as she was of them. I don’t know if Mary had a special relationship with ravens but this dream became the inspiration for her portrait. My intention was to capture the intense, meditative silence in which many Native artists worked so that their thoughts and emotions could flow into their creations.”
Title: Red Raven
Image size: 26 x 34 inches
Medium: Colored and graphite pencils, acrylic, watercolor and ink.
2003
Original: $3000