That’s a lot of W’s” but what these words also have in common is that they are what’s inspiring my latest work. Inspiration is what propels a work into existence, gives it meaning, and ultimately helps to convey the story of the piece. Inspiration seems to come from everywhere but then it converges to connect the dots in one’s unique way. These three concepts have surfaced as the most prominent points of inspiration for me now.
As part of the Creative Pinellas Professional Artist Grant 2023, we are given the wonderful opportunity to exhibit our newest work at the Arts Annual 2024. This seems like a long way off but for a stone sculptor, my thoughts and hands are busy working to have several works ready by next year. The theme that I’ve been developing is that of the four elements: Wind, Water, Earth, and Air. I’m beginning with Water so all of my thoughts have been swirling around the idea of this element for the last several months. In addition to Water, the work must reflect my continued goal to honor the feminine spirit. From the youngest to the oldest, women never cease to amaze me with their immense capacity and strength. They can inspire a lifetime of artwork. Finally, there is the ancient Chinese philosophy called Wu Wei, or effortless action that I’ve been thinking about and trying to put into practice. Wu Wei is a philosophy rooted in Taoism which teaches that instead of trying to force things to happen and control outcomes, one should allow things to flow naturally and follow the path of least resistance, much like water does. In stone carving, I continually strive for efficiency of action and design. To convey a story through the simplest of forms is always my goal as well as preserving the overall size of the stone and my body from being overworked. There are many other aspects of life that ultimately inspire a work but these are just a few that I wanted to share with you. I guess you can say I’m just going within the flow and really enjoying it.