Emily Harrell, age 21 is a Native American student at the University of Oregon who is majoring in art. She is a part of the Confederated Tribes of Coos, also located in Oregon. She enjoys painting and telling stories about her cultural history through her artwork.
Emily sits in her kitchen enjoying painting acrylic and watercolor stills that reflect her cultural ties with her tribe, The Confederated Tribes of Coos. She says, “I am not full Native American, but part of my Mothers family is, and Painting naturalistic pieces makes me feel more connected to my Native Roots.”Emily Harrell glances up from her work and takes a moment to reflect. She says, “I remember my Grandmother once said, ‘our ancestors exist where water meets land,’ and that has always stuck with me. Emily grew up in Lake Oswego, Oregon but often visited the Pacific coast with her family where she discovered a love for her Native history.The work that Emily Harrell creates reflects a deeper connection to the sea, “The Coos used to live on the southwest Pacific coast,” she says, which explains why she uses colors and shapes that inhabit the sea. She dips her paintbrush in dark green paint and continues working on a painting of a sea-leaf. She says, “This one started out as a sketch I did for fun, at first I wasn’t going to paint it, but I wanted to make it come to life” she smiles while taking pride in her work.Emily Harrell carefully drags her brush along the canvas, spending a good amount of time on the detail of the leaf. She says, “Green and blue washes are a common color in The Coos People culture.” These colors used to be worn at The Coos People ceremonies to represent their relationship with the sea.Emily Harrell makes the water interact with the paint, creating a beautiful milky blur of blues and greens. She explains, “These colors are my favorite to work with because they mix so effortlessly.” Emily will continue to explore and portray her cultures story through art at the University of Oregon.
