The African Madonnas – Back Packing Baby

This mixed media encaustic painting uses a photo transfer technique, porcupine quills,

I was struck by the image of this Ethiopian woman walking down a dusty road with her baby in a cradleboard on her back.  I immediately associated it with North American indigenous peoples papoose carriers,  In fact throughout my travels in Africa and meetings with tribal peoples I was constantly struck by similarities with the indigenous peoples of other continents - relationship to the land, stories and customs seem to echo across countries and cultures.