Storm Crossing

11 x 46 x 5 inches 
Burled Maple
Purchased by Winchester Medical Center for their meditation room in the new Valley Health Cancer Center
Storm Crossing is a meditation sculpture meticulously carved out of a four-foot slice of distressed burly maple tree that was growing in our back yard. Storm Crossing is dedicated to cancer patients, such as my husband. He died of esophageal cancer in 2016. The burled maple tree that it came from was chain sawed, felled and sliced by my husband.

This sculpture is made specifically for a meditation center. It was meticulously carved to enhance the wild texture and movement of the burl. The beauty of the burled maple contains the storm, just as the cancer treatments contain the wild cancer cells.

Unlike most of my other sculptures, Storm Crossing lacks supporting architecture. The absence of a base eliminates distraction by competing geometries and any concessions to gravity. The viewer is left to focus on form and surface that evoke both turmoil and refuge. Sharp continuous lines form bright, sharp edges that contain hospitable hollows. It reminds us how the surf rider seeks the serene trough of the wave’s foamy curl. Against all odds, crossing over remains possible.