01 May “Mr. Elijah’s Masterpiece” Included in Global Publication: Artistonish Magazine – May 2021

Artistonish – Contemporary Art Magazine – Issue #10 – May 2021

Staff & Palette is delighted to have been invited to be featured in this global publication with Rina Lucas’s Original Oil entitled “Mr. Elijah’s Masterpiece” inspired by the work of her dear friend and fellow artist, Mr. Elijah Ford, who has been creating Sweetgrass Baskets iconic of Charleston’s Gullah Community since his youth.

Artistonish – Contemporary Art Magazine – May 2021

Biafarin – Artistonish Magazine – Artist Profile – Rina Lucas

“Mr. Elijah’s Masterpiece” – Poem by Rina Lucas

He stands
Greeting us with a warm smile
That has welcomed us for years
To his basket stand
The gem of Highway 17
Showcasing the talents
Handed down to him from his mother
And a thousand generations before her
All around us
Sparkling in the Charleston sun
Are his masterpieces
Fragrant as the morning dew
The poetry and pain
Of a great people
Sewn together in prayer
If ever a man looked like God to me
It’s Mr. Elijah
Gentleness and strength
Humility and greatness
Swirled together like his artwork
With serene confidence
His kind eyes have seen so much
Joy and grief
For more than 80 years
His skilled hands have been
Working the Sweetgrass
Translating torment and toil
Into a glorious triumph
Ashes into Beauty
Mourning into Dancing.