IMAGO DEI

The clay figure series I am currently developing is called Imago Dei. In biology "Imago" is the last stage of developement or metamorphosis for an insect. My imagry shows a symbolic human transformation from "chrysalis to butterfly." Imago Dei is a theological expresion which literally means the Image of God. It refers to both the way we are created in God's image but also how we are being transformed into His image. I plan on displaying these figures in a variety of ways, but usually in groupings as you see here. I currently have 25 figures done and my hope is to create another 25 in the next few months.

PAINT THE STARS

This installation piece, Paint the Strars, is about the connection of artists to seeing God via the splendor of His created world. This assembled piece developed from two quotes. The first quote (seen on the back of the easel) comes from a letter Vincent Van Gogh wrote to his brother Theo -

"When I have a terrible need of, shall I say the word, religion, I go out and paint the stars." Of course one of Van Gogh's most famous paintings is Starry Night.

The second quote (on the ground under the easel) comes from Henry Wadsworth Longfellow - "Then the stars come out and the night is Holy."

ASCENDING / DESCENDING

ASCENDING/DESCENDING - I recently completed a stacked, 2 part piece about the intersection of the earthly with the divine. The piece is based on two passages from the Bible. First, Jacob's dream as recorded in Genesis 28 - "And he dreamed, and behold, there was a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven. And behold, the anghels of God were ascending and descending on it!"

The second passage comes from Jesus' comments to Nathanael in John 1 - "Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven openned, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man."

This is the first piece where I have incorporated a form similar to Cypress knees to represent life arising from death or decay (as represented by the leaves on the ground at the base of the sculpture). This 2 part piece is about 7 feet in height.