Often what people don’t say or leave out tells the real story. Shannon L. Alder
11x17 inch print includes a narrative.
The Lighthouse Service fell short on documenting the history of non-whites. Enslaved and free people of color served as light keepers on a limited basis during the 1800s without recognition and sometimes without compensation.
In 1826, a Black woman was left in charge of Cape Florida Lighthouse because the lighthouse keeper lived miles away. It is the first documented case of a woman of color keeping a Federal Installation. The known first lighthouse staff member killed in war was African American Aaron Carter. He perished after the Seminoles attacked Cape E Lighthouse in 1836. He is recorded as being a free man of color.
Life experiences and a love for art history have profoundly shaped to my artistic voice. Inspired by Impressionism. My Surrealist, and Symbolist art, is infused with symbols the viewer must interpret and discover.
The lines and strokes that dominate these pastel paintings give them form and dimension. The movements and nuances of lines that emanate with energy. They are not static expressions. Ordered thoughts and passionate emotions are my guiding principles. I never considered any of my paintings completed. Each one is an unfinished thought.