I am currently working on a series of art quilts based on old photographs. I got the idea from a wonderful collection of formal portraits from the late 1800s through the 1930s that I found in my late father’s personal effects . Along with the work of Harlem Renaissance photographer James Van Der Zee, these photos provide a glimpse of African-American life that is rarely seen in history books. It has been a lot of fun trying to capture the mood of these striking black and white images using colorful modern fabrics. My goal is to complete a group of images that can be exhibited along with the photos that inspired them.