LGTBQ

H20″ x W7″ x D7″

If you place your hand over the top half of this figure’s face it will seem as if it is a female in a monk-like robe. Slide your hand down to cover the lower half of the face and she will appear a male. An observer of this piece remarked, “Just like today. I have to look twice at some people, especially metro types. Hard to tell man or woman.”

Not bad, I thought. That’s something of the sentiment I tried to capture.

Our sexual identities likely began to be shaped around the third year of life. Today lesbian, gay, transgender, bisexual and queer individuals have found their voice. We are the better for it.

This little piece was created for no other reason than to stand as a quiet reminder of creation’s ways.

Untitled, Study 1

 

Garden Goddess

Ceramic Goddess is 24″ x12″ x 16″
Steel base is 24″ x 17″ x 8″

Gardens have a hidden life, much of it underground, and all of it mysterious. Anyone who knows the satisfaction as well as the frustrations of gardening is aware of that secret life. The market for fertilizers and chemicals is a hint that we want to control that secret life.

This garden goddess is calm, focused, and quiet. She’s more about caring than controling.

Bodhisattva

H 16″ x W 12″ x D 12″

This Bodhisattva may be likened to the Japanese Bodhisattva known as Jizo, the guardian of children, travelers, and fireman. I have sculpted a cloth on her right arm and a rose on her shoulder. Others might liken the cloth to a wash rag. It reminds me of the need to serve. Doing, not merely reflection, is also the soil from which wisdom is born. Both seem to take a lifetime to discover.

Attentiveness

16″ x 16″ x 24″
Ceramic, wood base

Gaylord’s stone carving stands in the St Peter and Paul Cemetery, Naperville, Illinois

Adam and Eve

14” x 14” x 6”

The Adam and Eve story is, in part, a universal tale about learning. Recall the setting. They blissfully walked about the garden unaware that they were naked. What happened when they did something they were not supposed to do? They became conscious, aware that they were naked. No wonder the story has endured the ages. It reminds that failures (errors, mistakes, faults, sins—-call them what you will) are ways we awaken from the sleepiness of everyday life.

Playful Mayan God

14″ x 6″ x 8″

Meet Chaahk, the menacing Mayan God of thunder, lightning and rain. She hides her unnerving powers beneath a gaudy appearance. Disregard her at your peril. Muslims, Jews and Christians believe in one god. People of a bygone age believed in many gods, each of whom must be respected. This playful outdoor piece needs to rest in an out-of-way corner of a garden where an occasional glimpse is enough to remind the viewer to respect the mystery in which we are involved.

The Crucifixion

(ceramics on stone)
14” x 8″ x 7″

Violent killing is ugly, a crucifixion particularly so. The death of a man on a cross is no less disturbing. Christians speak of the image of Jesus on a cross as a manifestation of God’s love. Jews are offended by the image, particularly when blamed for all manner of evil by Christians.This sculpture is an alternative portrayal of the crucifixion. It is about love. A sad head of the man Jesus rests on a rock bonded to the good and bad thieves, images of us all.

Angels Making Music

6” x 4” x 4” (varied sizes)

Most of us think of ourselves as serious, highly responsible individuals. We may even pride ourselves on our worldly know-how and no nonsense approach to life and work. These angels live in another world. They are anything but disembodied heavenly creatures. They are devilish, angelic, vibrant music makers who awaken a smile. A smile and music-making is something most of us need.

The Trickster

10″ x 5″ x 5″

Have you ever been tricked into a relationship for which you are now grateful? A Trickster may have led you there! Have you ever been seduced into a job or profession that you now regret? You might find the workings of a trickster. What a curious way of thinking. True or not, we are well advised to learn the hidden workings of the human heart.