This piece was Inspired by the George Caleb Bingham painting, "Jolly Flatboatmen," 1845. The Missouri River was a backdrop for Bingham, and I too spend much of my time on a river close to my home in southwest Missouri, so it felt very familiar. Because the water is shallow in this river, the boats and rafts we float on must be flat. But whereas Bingham's piece was all men, I wanted to mix it up a little, and instead added my own tribe of characters that reflect a more current interpretation of our world today in terms of gender and race. The National Gallery of Art recently acquired my piece to hang alongside the original painting of Bingham's that is also in their permanent collection. It is now sold out in all sizes in print form. -- Julie Blackmon
