Reflections On Nature

“Reflections on Nature”, which won first place in sculpture in the open, professional division at The Georgia National Fair Fine Arts Show in Perry, Georgia. I was also  honored to be awarded the David and Lynn Morley special fine art merit award. 

Here are some new photos of my largest woodcarving and latest sculpture all carved from wood (minus the metal feet), titled “Reflections On Nature”.
I started this sculpture 25 years ago. In 2001, I was in grad school and traced the journey of my ancestor, William Bartram, through parts of the Southeast. Bartram –America’s first naturalist artist – was the first to describe and illustrate the great blue heron. Following my ancestor’s footsteps left me with an overwhelming spiritual feeling, which I strive to capture in my work. 

Although I first exhibited the heron as my “White Spirit Bird” in my thesis exhibition “Stirring The Soul: Meditations on The Travels of William Bartram”, I recently made significant changes. First, I impressionistically painted the heron. Then, I carved the interpretive, free-standing base and added a cattail, which I fabricated from wood. 

Cattails symbolize healing and nourishment in the spiritual realm, serving as a powerful reminder of nature's innate ability to provide and restore. While cattails and birds are pervasive symbols in art and mythology, I wanted to reflect upon the cyclical nature of life as well as capture the essence of the majestic great blue heron.