Sacred Sites

11” x 15” x 8.5”

Black Cedar Base with Geode Stone Insert - Illuminated Signed Original Work, 1 of 1, June 2008

The inspiration for this piece came to me in stages. I had started to make the wing with something else completely in mind and, as with many things in my work, it started to evolve. I began to see it differently and it started to take on a more spiritual feel for me. I began to see the warmth, comfort & protection it provided. I began to picture the Native American silently seeking in prayer. I began to think of all the details he would carry with him, only to be laid aside, giving only one offering up to his “Great Spirit”. Over the course of a couple of months this piece began to take shape until I had one last dilemma…. How to complete him? Then one night, in the middle of the night, it came to me….Of Course! This native would have traveled to his most “sacred” ground to pray his prayer…and the idea of the illuminated slice of stone came into being. Look for the details of this piece in the pictures below. Each feather of the wing was individually laid into place, both front and back, w/ each side of the wing having to be constructed separately starting with the back side. After laying on the feathers, the details of each individual was added, the feather veins first, then each individual groove to give the feather its realistic look. This was then baked to harden. At this point each step had to be repeated again to finish the front side of the wing. This process took over 25 hours of work to construct the wing alone. To his left are a bow & tomahawk, a quiver of arrows lays atop several rocks. In his hands, a Peace Pipe. To his right a drum to call forth his Great Spirit leaning against another group of rocks, behind him, another grouping of rocks, where sits atop, a very small dragonfly. The piece is constructed in a way for the bulb underneath to be easily replaced, instructions included.