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.
16″ x 16″ x 24″
Ceramic, wood base
This Saint Francis is modeled after a photo taken by James Frazier of a stone sculpture by Frank Gaylord. Usually Francis is depicted as a small fragile fellow, ascetic if not gaunt. Not this time. Gaylord has carved a massive figure, bent over, legs spread, attentive to … if not communicating with … a small bird. The juxtaposition of the two is striking.
Gaylord’s stone carving stands in the St Peter and Paul Cemetery, Naperville, Illinois
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.
12″ x 12″ x 6”
A seemingly cracked micaceous clay pot mended with rawhide in the Native American tradition — holding three nested Robin’s eggs. …. images of us all. “For all that has been, thank you. For all that is to come, yes!”
Dag Hammarskjöld
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.
(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.
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.
11″ x 10″ x 10″
I was shaken while watching a movie documenting the tragedies of World War II. At one point the camera panned a windowless room where prisoners were water-boarded. The space was devoid of anything other than implements of torture …. a table, rope, and a pail that held water to induce death, or near death, by drowning. The metal pail had an exquisite shape that an unknown artisan must have labored to form. I wanted to capture that shape in ceramic as a reminder that what is beautiful … whether people or objects … can be used in nefarious ways.
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.
22″ x 8″ x 6″
1 of 2 (Bronze), one sold
Two women visit. One is pregnant.
“When we honestly ask ourselves which person in our lives means the most to us, we often find that it is those who, instead of giving advice, solutions, or cures, have chosen rather to share our pain and touch our wounds with a warm and tender hand. The friend who can be silent with us in a moment of despair or confusion, who can stay with us in an hour of grief and bereavement, who can tolerate not knowing, not curing, not healing and face with us the reality of our powerlessness, that is a friend who cares.”
― Henri J.M. Nouwen