In The Garden
A sculpture that touches lives
I was driving to church in February 2015 and suddenly a vision of this piece came to my mind. I saw it as clear as something my eyes could see. I waited until summer 2016 to start. I think sometimes we hesitate when we are not sure of our abilities. Whatever the reason for the hesitation in starting I am just glad I did finally get my hands inspired to weld up the armature.
​​​The next step was to put clay on the piece. My thoughts where can I do this? It was a moment of decision, and I knew what I had to do. This was July 4th, and I just picked up handfuls of clay and started to apply them to the armature. Working along within a couple of days I had the bulk of the figure built up and next step would be the details of Jesus.
It was now September of 2016. Nineteen months since the vision came to me. I sat with this armature covered in clay and the most important part of all had to be sculpted, Jesus' face. This face had to be just right. It had to be sincere, loving, inviting, peaceful, and full of grace and with a look of gentle compaction. My next several attempts to create and sculpt this face were met with less than satisfying results. The eyes were not right, the nose not just what I was hoping for, the mouth not the right look. Over and over, I struggled to find the sincere and grace filled face.
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Sculpt more eyes and take them off.... sculpt some more and take them off. Then the mouth and take it off. Then again and take it off... more noses and take them off. Put these features on and take them off. I was just not getting the look that this piece must have. Time passed and over and over I struggled to get the look that would be just right. The look to let people who sat with Jesus know that they were loved, accepted and welcome. Frustrated I felt I just was not able to find or get this look.
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I then stopped and asked God with everything in my being "Dear Lord I need your help. Please Lord, I need you to take my hands and sculpt what You want".
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Over the next two hours I worked with such speed that it was beyond my comprehension. I was breathing heavy and sweating as I moved the clay with my hands. I was watching my hands create the very face that I had struggled so many times to sculpt and here it was forming right before my eyes. In two hours of sculpting what I could not do in many hours of failure I saw before me the face of grace, of love, of acceptance and peace.
In the two hours I had sculpted not only the face but the robe and blocked in the hands and feet. This to me would be impossible for me to get this much done in such a short time. Truly the power of God Himself was at work in my hands. I sat on the stump across from Jesus and looked into His face and wept.
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Such an emotional experience had just come across me in the last two hours like I had never experienced before in my life. It felt like the spirit of God was in me and around me. I had to take a walk down the road to be with this feeling a bit longer before I interacted with anyone.
This was truly an amazing experience and other worldly in its feeling.
I hope you will come out to the gallery and experience it.
Comments from those who have experienced the sculpture
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"He meets me where I'm at"
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"It has such grace"
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"He smiled at me"
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"He holds my hands"
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"The peace in His gaze is overwhelming"
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"Every Human should have access to the joy and solace of this incredible work"
There are no words... There are no words!"
"In a painful time of my life it brought me comfort"
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"Knowing I could go and sit with Him was amazing"
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"Not saying a word, I just knew He understood my heart"
