ARTWORK

"This piece is made of 218 seven inch coffin shaped pieces of wood embedded and covered with marks, wires and paint to express the essence of an issue or thought for each of 218 consecutive days. Each has to do with an expression of loss, grief, or a simple observation of gratefulness for the day. The project began on Memorial Day 2006 and ended December 31, 2006 – a seven-month span.

I was inspired to begin this daily work as a way to work though grief and anger stemming originally from the political decisions being made in respect to the “war on terrorism” led by the Bush administration. I intended the project to go for seven weeks; however at the end of that time span I realized I was not finished and I extended the project to seven months. The number seven is a powerful number and I embedded its power into the time span, and the measurements of each piece.

Compassion is a quality that can distinguish the human species, and yet is too often lost in our busy and conflicted days and cultures. This piece was important to me in that it was a daily meditation and set the attitude for my studio work. I am not doing this kind of daily work at the moment; however, I do bring the focus of compassion and mindfulness to my studio practice as I focus on the natural world and the beauty therein."