2003 | The Healing Process | 3 Phases
Creating this 3-dimensional series helped me understand and deal with my own process of healing after a loved one has passed.
My three healing phases and sculptural images share the same titles:
In the Beginning, Slowly Healing and In the End. They exemplify the bonding between a patient and caregiver. After the patient has passed the caregiver and family struggle to cope with the loss.
- The elements of each sculpture and phase are a long stem, a graduating center, and dangling spirals. Each phase tells its own story through my art.
- The long stems are twisted and wound tightly to show the closeness of the patient and caregiver.
- The center openings and spirals grow larger with each phase.
- The patient and caretaker’s spirals both end with yellow tips, to continue their bond as they celebrate the patient’s life.
- The patient’s color palette morphs from red to orange to yellow.
- The caretaker’s color palette morphs from blue to green to yellow.
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In the Beginning | Phase One
- A single red to yellow spiral floats upwards, freeing the soul.
- The sculpture’s center is filled with closed spirals, representing the caretaker in an embryonic state of mourning…trying to find a way out of the sadness.
Slowly Healing | Phase Two
Because the patient is no longer in pain, the caretaker can take solace in knowing that while alive all was done, that could be done.
The caretaker slowly starts to put to rest the turmoil of the patient’s illness; the sculpture’s interior slowly opens and a few cascading spirals appear.
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In the End | Phase Three
Though the patient and caretaker may be physically separated they will be together forever.
- The spirals burst from its tightly-woven stem…leaving an open center to symbolize a sense of freedom.
- The caretaker is satisfied that the patient’s transition was as dignified as possible and that it may be time to move-on and explore life again.
- The 5-yellow tipped spirals are now the same length. All have finally equalized.
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2005 | Mom & Dad Together Again | Celebrating 58 years of marriage
My father died in 1997; my mother passed in 2002.
This Mom & Dad sculpture combines the geometric and spiral shapes of my earlier Carnival and Healing Series. I wanted to bring my parents “Together Again” to continue their endless love story.
- The sculpture’s interior space is stabilized by Dad’s sharp-angled geometric shapes. In contrast, Mom’s whimsical nature is embodied by the exterior’s tendrils that are intertwined throughout the piece.
- I incorporated myself at the sculpture’s base and the interior, with thin-yellow-cardboard strips; illustrating my never-ending interaction with my parents.
I find solace and aesthetic satisfaction knowing that my parents still inspire me.
The spirals continue into my next series of clay, called Candyland.
