“ALL CAME FROM A SINGLE POINT OF ENERGETIC NOTHINGNESS,”
Stoneware, 30”x 13”

Creation stories are an inherent part of any culture’s identity. The myths are as diverse as the tribes of this earth. Northwest coast native traditions tell of Raven pulling humans from a clam shell. Ancient people of the Mediterranean tell how God modeled man and woman from clay and breathed life into them. The Old Testament tale of Genesis still speaks to many contemporary Americans. Science may be the new myth maker as it disproves and sometimes confirms these stories passed down through generations. In this wheel I embrace the creation story of “The Big Bang.” The common source of all beings and material in this universe, which makes us brothers and sisters of the stars.

“REAPING THE WHIRLWIND,”
Stoneware, 29”x 9”

Our world is sown with differences. While one man walks in outer space on a lifeline of science and technology, another cr awls on his belly across a mosque floor to express his faith in God. While one man wrestles with an ox-drawn plow and lives “earth to mouth,” another wrestles futures on the stock exchange and dines on penthouse steak in the World Trade Center. When our human differences collided on 9/11, they birthed an inferno of global grief and chaos. Still, we are one family on this journey. We feel the sorrow of the man weeping over the exhumed bones of his murdered brother in Iraq as he holds his brother’s rib. The burka-clad woman whose eyes watch with hopeful caution has a voice we yearn to hear. The Muslim man whose eyes are squeezed shut in fervent prayer calls for the good of all our souls. The native woman dragging home a child’s wagon full of water buckets carries water for us all. Bound by the laws of nature, we all need earth, water, food, air and love to live fully.

“WHEN AUTUMN CRANES FILL THE AIR,”
Stoneware, 27”x 10”

This is a simple celebration of the long migrations undertaken by so many animal species in their adaptive efforts to survive. These cranes were inspired by traditional Tibetan Buddhist designs. The leaves are gathered from my backyard.

“DANCE OF LIFE,” Stoneware, 27”x 11”

Rhythm is inherent in the human soul. It pulses through us and around us. Dance lifts our spirit, transports us, and connects us with others. Lifting an infant toward the sky and back to earth is just the beginning of the joy of motion. Hawaiian elders dancing the sacred hula still remember and embrace the kinetic memories of childhood. To live is to be in motion.