REFLECTIONS OF BEING
(2014 - 2020)
This series comprises moments that can happen to anyone regardless of culture or socioeconomic status. Fragility of the thin clay represents human vulnerability, from which we can emerge either strong or crushed. Then, another moment may change the course again. This process is, I believe, life.
Click any images below for enlargement (works for large computer screens).
Click any images below for enlargement (works for large computer screens).
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HONORING MIGRATIONS, #303, 2021, 16x17x11.5", sold
A Sandhill Crane’s fossil discovered along the Platte River in Nebraska was dated to 10 million years. Have their species been migrating that long? Have their rituals which are being performed right before my eyes, been formed over such a long time span? I felt as if time were stretching from the prehistoric to the present and beyond. Sitting in the water from which all life originated, she is contemplating moments that have passed on this earth from its beginnings. She is vulnerable, but calm, being alone and insignificant in the eternal grandeur of nature. 
WHERE LIFE GATHERS, #299, 2021, 19.5x11x11" This piece was modeled after a friend who is like a sacred mountain-- a place where monarch butterflies gather from across the North American continent. She does not see this quality in herself, yet it is unmistakable. With this sculpture, I want to honor such genuine beauty. As we age, we may lose what is outward and fleeting, but the heart can continue to shine. 
SELF-ACCEPTANCE, #300, 2021, 19x5.5x4.5", sold I have witnessed this woman’s expression of contentment in hospice patients. Approaching the end of life, humans learn to accept the way we are. Could we reach this state when we are still full of life, even if we are conscious of the unacceptable in ourselves? My answer is yes. 
PUSHED & PULLED, #301, 2021, 12.5x10x9.5", sold This piece is dedicated to women whose lives are nothing but struggles. 
HIS SUN IS RISING AGAIN, #302, 2021, 18x12x14", sold His woman could no longer wait and she left. His business, into which he had poured everything, collapsed. Every nerve of his existence was suddenly thrown into the darkest void, from which he felt no way of getting out. A call from his concerned sister was the first light into the darkness. He gradually became aware of what he still possessed: his diligence, honesty, humor, and support from the family. None of these were tangible, but they had been his foundation. A hard, lonely road lay ahead, but he realized he would be okay. 
THE DOVE IS IN "OUR" HANDS, #286, 2019, 21x28x15" Some see this piece as a war-torn landscape, but it speaks to gun violence in our own country. The debris of assault weapons points to the ongoing mass shootings in America. At its center, a dove—symbol of peace—appears fragile, but it is not lifeless. It lifts its head and looks toward the woman, as if asking: “I am in your hands. Help me fly again.” Each of us can be the one who holds the dove. What can we do—individually and collectively-- to stop the spread of hateful killing? 
WATERFALL, #284, 2019, Figure 18x20.5x12.5", Painting 53.5x10", collection of South Dakota Art Museum 
MOON, #285, 2019, Figure 14x14x8.5", Painting Diameter 20", sold Translation of the calligraphy on the pedestal: One moon above Shadows On every surface of water “The moon” represents the Buddha, and “every surface of water,” each one of us. Buddha Nature is reflected in the heart of every single one of us. It is the essence of our being. 
FINDING DELIGHT EVERYWHERE, #296, 2020, Figure 19.5x6x6", Painting Diameter 22", sold 
LOCKED BOY, #263, 2018, 26.5x9x9.5", sold His abusive father shattered the boy’s body and spirit. As an adult, he repeated his father’s misbehavior and abused his children. Regrets haunt the now gray-haired man. Could he let go of the sad, frightened boy deep within? The white dove (a symbol of peace) waits for the man to lift the bolt that locks him in. 
INNER JUDGES, #234, 2015, 20x8x12", sold This is a woman long past her prime, and her vulnerability is depicted here. Her inner toads (symbolizing ugliness) keep judging her, saying, “You’re no good.” The self-criticism is condemning her worthlessness (the dunce cap). Hope in the form of a lamb (her strong Christian faith) waits lovingly. 
WEIGHT OF INJUSTICE, #240, 2016, 16x10.5x12", sold Systemic injustice feeds poverty. To this day, millions of people continue to struggle under the weight of injustice. The gleaming toad (symbolizing greed) is too conceited to see how ludicrous his avarice is (the dunce cap). The man reflects human resilience. He is about to stand up even with this weight on his back. 
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