Back in the early 80’s, I took my first trip to West Africa to meet my mother in law who resided in Freetown, Sierra Leone. Being a military brat I had seen most of Europe, but I had never been to what I refer to as "The Motherland", the birthplace of the human race. I could not control my excitement of the phenomenal cultural shock I was experiencing. Even though this country is one of the most impoverished in the world, it was one of the most serene and peaceful places I had ever visited. The people were full of resilience, warmth and beauty dressed in clothing that was rich in color. The food was fresh and organic. The scenes along the countryside had mountains and so many trees in variety of greens. The white sand clear water beaches were so beautiful and inviting. Through my art I tried to draw things I had seen and wanted to capture the beauty in the people and the simple natural way of living. Most of these paintings were done with Acrylic paints as well as Oil pastels and African material prints.