The talk that passes between artist Cynthia Cole and her mother, writer Hattie Cousain, is rooted in a tradition of storytelling.

"I have been surrounded by strong women," Cole said as she and her mother sat among Cole's many paintings in her North Las Vegas home. "From my great-great grandmother Mary to my great-grandmother Hattie and my grandmother Nevada Cousain, I am a product of their influence. I find them showing up in my paintings," Cole said, pointing out a work titled "Foremothers."