Oil on Linen, 48x60, NFS

I’ve had this image in my mind for 20 years. It wasn’t until I became somewhat good at painting that I dared put it to canvas nearly two decades later.

This is a painting of the young Columbia, the spirit of America. She is this young, youthful spirit of liberty and justice.

Before the “Star Spangled Banner” became our National Anthem in 1913 by an executive order under Woodrow Wilson, many Americans used to sing “Hail Columbia” as an unofficial national anthem. It is now considered the ceremonial march of the Vice President of the United States. The chorus begins with the lyrics, “Firm, united let us be, Rallying round our liberty.” And that’s what she symbolizes, a symbol rallying the American people around justice and liberty.

I wanted her to be unrecognizable ethnically. She could be Native American. She could be Mexican. She could be white. It doesn’t matter. She is a symbol for everyone.

I also wanted her to be somber—recognizing the mistakes that we’ve made as well as the opportunities that are over the horizon if we will just seize them—she is ever-fixated on the promises unfulfilled and promises yet to come.

Usually my paintings take days-worth of hours to finish. This canvas was empty at 2:00 pm on the afternoon when I first started. It was almost finished by 6:00 pm. That’s how clear this image was in my mind, and it just flowed onto the canvas.