A few more photos from Joshua Tree National Park

Joshua Tree National Park, Southern California

This is a Joshua Tree.

A trip to Joshua Tree National Park, California

Wade & I flew out to Palm Springs, California last week for a convention. While we were there, we went to Joshua Tree National Park, in the desert of Southern California. This is where the very unusual Joshua Tree grows. The rock formations are AWESOME!

Sculpture 1 Project 2 Shrine of Memories These are my “Virginia, River Rocks.” They are precious to me. I love these rocks. I love everything abo

Shrine of Memories

These are my “Virginia, River Rocks.” They are precious to me. I love these rocks. I love everything about them. Each one is completely unique from the other, in color shape and size. To hold each one in my hands, feeling the texture or smoothness, the weight or lightness and the coolness of the stone, slowly taking on my warmth, always stirs me inside.

I have always collected “Rocks”. As a small child, I could search for hours, looking into the waters of any stream, creek or river I could get near, for those beautiful, treasures that brought great delight to my soul. I was fascinated at the power of the water to polish these rocks into smooth rounded stones that felt so nice in my hands.

I have bowls and boxes of rocks. But, of all of the stones I have collected, these are some of my most precious. It is because of where they came from.

My mother, whom I dearly loved, was from Virginia. As a child, our family would travel from the big city in New York, to the gorgeous country of Virginia to see her family, my grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins. We made this journey every other year for our summer vacation, which we all looked forward to.

This trip always included the entire extended family trekking through the woods on a footpath, in the mountains where my uncle lived, wearing our swimsuits, sneakers and caring our towel around our necks. There was a beautiful rushing river near his home, through the most amazing forest of tall majestic pine trees that smelled like nothing else in the world. We would swim for hours in this river, (or pretend we could swim!). These were some of the best days ever.

I collected these rocks from that river, on my last visit, as an adult, after my mother died. I haven’t been back. I don’t know if I will ever return.

I built this wooden, shrine like structure, to hold and display these stones that represent so much to me; the land of my mother, memories of my innocence, peaceful family times, and the beauty of nature and all things good.

First Project 4 Seminar 1

This SCULPTURE is 54" high x 45" deep x 88" long, constructed completely of the same brand and size of water bottles.

My obsession with drinking clean water, led me to the realization of the “Plastic Waste” I was producing. Research of “Plastic Waste” opened my eyes to the horrific situation of our waterways, rivers and oceans. Top research scientists of our nation report that we are running out of clean drinking water fast. Beaches across the globe are covered in “Plastic Waste.” This “Plastic Waste” is killing fish, birds and other sea creatures, by entanglement and ingestion.

The orderly manner of the grid like system of color, pattern, number, texture and materials, reflects that of the orderliness of society, government and the legal system, all which turns a blind eye to this chaotic, seemingly uncontrollable problem.

The fluid and organic movement of the empty water bottles, mimics the oceans currants that move the “Plastic Wastes” across the globe.

I wanted to use these simple every day objects, that I was producing as waste, and create a beautiful, organic shape, with movement and luster, to bring attention to an everyday, everyone issue, that needs to be addressed more effectively.

First Project 4 Sculpture

This is my first project for Sculpture Class. We had to create a box with no nails or screws. I chose finger joints to hold my box together. Wow, not so easy! It measures 5"h x 4"d x 16"long. I thought it would be nice to hold some paint brushes.

Boxes are super hard to make, keeping all sides perfectly squared and even! When you see a beautiful handmade box in a shop, what ever they are charging for it, it is worth it!

Did I mention, they let us use POWER TOOLS!!!