Original Watercolor by Angela Jones McMullen

Classic American folk art never fails to brighten up almost any decorating scheme. For this year’s CLF Fundraising Auction, artist Angela Jones McMullen has created a patriotic painting that will make a fine addition to any collection.

This Fraktur-inspired piece depicts a Federal eagle flanked by two American flags. The eagle grips a banner bearing the Latin phrase “E Pluribus Unum”, or “Out of Many, One.” In his talons the eagle holds an olive branch and a bundle of arrows, the traditional symbols for war and peace. Prominently featured on each side of the painting are the opening words of one of America’s most popular patriotic hymns, which dates from 1831: “My Country Tis of Thee…Sweet Land of Liberty.”

The painting was executed on recycled paper with quill, ink, and watercolor. Measuring 12 inches by 36 inches, the painting comes ready to hang in an upcycled frame finished in a Colonial Williamsburg paint scheme. The painting, says the artist, honors the “many sacrifices from blood shed and thousands and thousands of good lives lost” in the never-ending struggle for liberty.

Artist Angela Jones McMullen, who has been active in French colonial living history since 1978, has created a fantastic addition to this year’s auction. “This piece,” she explains, “stands for our freedom and God’s loving protection.”

For more information on the work of Angela Jones McMullen, contact the artist directly: 

colonialbrushandquill@gmail 

Photography by David Wright
Text by Joshua Shepherd