Wood Sculptures

In 2005 my solo exhibition of wood carvings was entitled “Delighting in Life – a celebration of relationships that link us together”. In essence the theme of most of my carvings engages the inter-connectedness of friendships and encounters, the affirmation within sisterhoods, the precious relationships we enjoy in this sacrament of life.  The artworks mark moments of delighting in the fragrance of being supported and held.  Whether we feel connected to the earth or to another, we come together emotionally, physically and spiritually. And so the figures dance, gently, purposefully, energetically, in harmony.

About the process: It takes time, as Georgia O’Keefe says, to have a friend.  It takes time to release images from a log of wood, but it is always good to see them emerge into being.  There is significance too in the interconnectedness – we are linked to each other in so many ways – yet even in the togetherness there is a need to secure a personal space between us to allow, as Gibran notes, “the winds of heaven to dance between you.”

The wood used is mostly camphor and cedar – beautiful fragrant trees  I often add decorative patterning into the wood to evoke dimensions of hidden truths, tracing memories, a connecting to the ancient Ones – reminiscent of the markings of the goddess figurines, the markings of ancient Masks, the markings women trace on their homestead walls, their home-made cloths, their bodies.