Edge of the Sea
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This sculpture has several meanings. On the surface it is a man sitting on a rock, or perhaps a cliff, at the seashore. It was inspired by a painting I saw entitled "Jeune Homme Nu Asis au Bord de la Mer" by Hippolyte Flandrin (1809-1864). The title in English means "Young Man Sitting at the Edge of the Sea." As I sculpted the piece I had time to meditate. As my mind pondered, the piece took on deeper meaning. He became a man sitting on the edge of the sea of despair, not the ocean, as I first imagined. He seemed to tell me he was facing some big difficulty in his life. He was afraid, because he didn't feel he was strong enough to overcome the challenges that faced him. There he sat on the rock with his head down, wondering what he would do. I could certainly empathize with him. I have felt like that many times. I have felt alone and inadequate and burdened. Fortunately, experience has taught me I do not face life's challenges I am old enough now to look back on my darkest times with the perspective of experience. I realize my trials taught me a great deal. Challenge is where most growth comes from. By embracing the lessons trial taught me, I have learned to accept them as great gifts. Edge of the Sea was also a way for me to show that one-of-a-kind doll art is very much a fine art form. Though it is finished to look like bronze, it is sculpted in polymer clay. I added the towel in stiffened silk to give it a further twist. It may look like a bronze ... in actuality it is a multimedia piece. Our trials often look like one thing, and distance and time show us they were actually something else entirely. I hope he touches your heart as he sits on his rock, pondering great questions, seeking courage and faith to face his challenges. |
