Spirits in Wood

        The wondrous journey of a piece of wood . . . from a sapling magically rising from the earth, slowly growing, reaching toward the light, adding branches, twigs, leaves or needles . . . standing for years/decades, hosting insects, burrows, and bird nests . . . breaking off or dying, perhaps engulfed in a forest fire . . . roots and limbs carried to the sea by raging streams in the height of Southern California winters  . . . over years and years, tossed by waves, beaten against stones, eaten into by sea creatures, rounded by sand . . . coming to rest on the shore, baked by the sun, returning to sea, over and over . . . until one day discovered against the cliffs in a heap of "driftwood". 
        As I stroll my local beaches, amidst the piles of stones and wood, or resting solo at low tide, I’m called to pieces of driftwood that, even in their disheveled state, have some visual appeal. After hours and hours of cleaning, scrubbing, wire-brushing, chiseling off charcoal, seven grades of sandpaper, and finally oiling, I share these sculptures here; their names having slowly come as I’ve practiced a work-meditation with each piece.
        While lovely to look at, to fully connect with their remarkable beauty and presences, each sculpture is meant to be held, touched and explored up close. Soon I expect to make them available for purchase. Contact me if you feel called by a particular piece of driftwood.

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