Sculpture, Poetry, and Art of Pamela Bendio

Spontaneous Interweaving

2008-10-30T18:47:00.001-06:00

by Pamela Bendio

I have been mostly content
with my own rhythms,
both intricate and simple,
that play themselves so
easily and comfortably
that they flow and ebb
throughout the day
without much effort.

However, I find that I am always looking
for new challenges, new songs
that I try to learn –
adding them into my repertoire –
practicing their complexities
over and over until
they are mine.

But, now
my ears hear your music,
flowing from you
and I feel awakened,
enlivened, and
I sense new possibilities
of infinite patterns,
if our individual music
were to blend – coming together
in mutual expression!

When we unite our collective talents,
the sharing and the sounding of it
is rich in my heart and ears.

I love your songs!
I am content to rest
and listen
to your explorations,
just as I am satisfied
to play my songs
while you listen – so
intently – to me –

But, oh! What joy when the
spontaneous interweaving
of our combined gifts moves us
through our innovations
to a new level of possibilities
and spills out of us
and overflows
into the universe!

Weaving

2008-10-28T20:37:00.002-06:00

The Self-Correcting Manager

2008-10-25T16:38:00.002-06:00

A Meeting Management Story
By: Pamela S. Bendio

I recently sat down at my computer and, having entered my thoughts on the screen, I reached up to the menu bar and told the program to do a spelling and grammar check. It brought to mind the great difference between this technology and the self-correcting typewriter I once used. I was in the middle of staff evaluations, and so somehow the phrase, “self-correcting manager” blinked into my mind like the flashing cursor where I had left off my typing . . .

“ALL ABOARD! LAST CALL” The conductor sang these words as he leaned out from the side of the train.

I was standing on the platform, somewhat startled because the last I knew, I had been sitting at my computer . . . “ALL ABOARD!” His voice was more insistent now . . . “ALL ABOARD the PRIORITY TIMELINE EXPRESS!”

Without being quite sure why, I stepped up impulsively and entered the moving train. I slipped quietly into a seat as I heard the conductor’s announcement: “The PRIORITY TIMELINE EXPRESS, now leaving Last Meeting! Next stop . . .” and his voice trailed off as he moved into the following car. Instinctively I knew what the next stop would be, so I sat by the window watching Last Meeting fade into the distance. I listened as the train picked up speed and the clickety clack became quite regular. I settled back into my seat, the scenery became a blur, and I closed my eyes and listened. “Do more with less, do more with less . . .you’re on the PRIORITY TIMELINE EXPRESS . . . do more with less!”

“NEXT STOP, Post Meeting Evaluation in twenty minutes! If you are disembarking, please check your area to make sure you have all your personal effects.” That’s when I noticed the boxes beside me, with my name on them and distinctly marked: Questionnaires. The passenger across the way looked knowingly at my bewilderment, “You do remember how you got here, don’t you?” The other passengers turned and waited expectantly for my reply.

“Why yes, I was at my computer typing when I . . .”

“No, not that,” she said impatiently. “Don’t you remember when you got on the train, when you got on the PRIORITY TIMELINE EXPRESS?”

“Well sure,” I said, “I got on at Last Meeting and . . .”

“No! I see your mind is still fuzzy – it always happens to those who get back on at Last Meeting! You must think back to where your journey first began. You got on board at Defining Objectives and must travel on this train as far as Until-you get-it right!”

I heard myself saying, “Where’s that?” to a chorus of passengers whispering, “Oh, surely, she must know that . . . everyone knows . . . it’s just after Next Meeting!”

Next meeting . . . next meeting . . . where had I heard that before? Before I knew it, I had been lulled to sleep by the clickety clack again, but this time it sounded more like . . .”What are we managers always trying to do? Earn-a-profit. Save-a-dollar. Accomplish some objective . . . Make people happy (the right ones of course!) . . . Do it better . . . Do it bigger . . . Do it more efficiently – next time . . . What are we managers always trying to do!”

The passenger across from me shook me by the shoulder, “Look, you fell asleep and all your papers are scattered on the floor; let me help you gather them up.” Instinctively I reached out for the questionnaires she handed me. “You’re evaluating your objectives aren’t you?” she asked with a sly twinkle in her eye. “I see you want to make sure you’re doing it right?”

“Why, of course,” I replied.

“You did define what is was you were looking for . . . what it was you wanted to accomplish?” My mind suddenly cleared and was filled with facts and figures; theories and concepts; rules and regulations; feelings and impressions . . . the rush of information was exhilarating! Had I planned for the unexpected? Did I look past the obvious? Did I challenge the way things had always been done to see if that was still the best way to do it? Had I looked to other sources of information . . . looked at what I was doing from a different perspective? The woman nodded sagely, the twinkle still in her eye.

“Yes,” she said, “I thought I knew you – you must be the Self-Correcting Manager! Welcome aboard the PRIORITY TIMELINE EXPRESS. This is your ticket; it’s good through to Next Meeting and at least as far as Until-you-get-it right!”

The Monkey Bar

2008-10-24T12:53:00.003-06:00

by Pamela Bendio

Up the ladder
the young child
climbed…
stretching tall
to find the bar
above his head

Until he grasped it tight,
his feet swinging free…
and now, suspended,
he dangled there in the air

neither capable of stretching
the distance to reach
the next bar so as to
move himself forward,
nor able to find
purchase for his foot
on the ladders rung…

immobile, he hung there
looking down,
seeing the ground…
so incredibly far
below him

Holding,
holding,
holding -- for what
seemed like forever--
with all his might!

Waiting in silence
while family, otherwise engaged,
remain unaware of his dilemma…

A neighbor watches and
feels compelled to help -
approaches - willing to do
the young child’s bidding.

“What do you want to do?” she asks…

“Get down!” he simply responds.

The neighbor’s hands would have
willingly held the child up as he
moved from bar to bar until he
found the safety of the other side …
and so, claim his “accomplishment.”

But,at his request, she
now held her hands up
and let the child
drop into their safety,
gently supporting him
and placing him
on the ground ...

Where he, feeling earth’s
firmness beneath him ...
ran off to play
without a moment
of concern.

Pottery

2008-10-24T12:30:00.004-06:00

(60 Photos)

Life by Design

2008-10-24T10:00:00.001-06:00

by Pamela Bendio

My hopes and desires
spring from a place
deep inside of me
pushing their way
to manifestation
just like a seed
that has taken root
and seeks the world
of sun, rain, and air.

Thus, my thoughts
and actions
shaped by my hopes
and desires
bring about the creation
of my dreams…
and I, in partnership
with the universe,
design my own reality.

Ribbons

2008-10-24T09:44:00.007-06:00

Blue Trunks: Salt Lake County Fair - 2nd Place

Tall Match Box: Utah State Fair - Honorable Mention

Wool Baby Blanket - 8 Harnes Loom - Overshot Pattern: Utah State Fair - 2nd Place

A Comparison of Abstract Landscapes: From Realistic Representation to Intuitive Voice

2008-10-24T07:58:00.011-06:00

by Pamela Bendio

A landscape artist must start with the descriptive scene before him: trees, fields, water, mountains, buildings, and other elements that capture a particular place and moment in time. The accurate depiction of these landmarks makes the view recognizable. Underlying the faithful representation of the outer form is another layer of reality. A non-objective abstract artist transcends the obvious replication of form and instead uses his skill to explore the energy, spirit, or feeling of what he “sees” by giving an intuitive voice to that underlying layer of awareness. We too should be able to enter into this insightful reality with clarity through observation of the artist’s choice of medium, composition, line, shape, color, and value.

Comparing the work of two American artists, McChesney: born in 1913 and Woelffer a year later in 1914, we can see how both artists have selected to portray a landscape as a non-objective abstract, leaving logical reality and instead, communicating a relationship with a more instinctive or mystical realm. Individually they have used a similar limited palette of colors: gold, black, white and red in the medium of oil on canvas to share the feeling or essence of the places they were familiar with. Here the similarity of choices diverges. The spirit or energy of Mexico provided McChesney with a different experience than Woelffer had in Italy. Each artist needed to find a way to express that particular awareness with an intuitive voice.

In 1952, Robert McChesney painted his abstract landscape titled “Mexico B14” in oil on a large, 42 x 58 inch, rectangular canvas in the landscape format. The painting is dominated by swirls of irregular organic shapes and earthy colors of gold, deep red, and black. These colors appear translucent in some areas and more opaque or denser in others. Black flowing linear designs seem to appear and disappear under these colorful forms, depending on the application of the paint, giving a sense of movement and depth. The canvas is noticeably divided in half by vertical lines just to the right of center. Less obvious is an “X” pattern where colors at one end of the diagonal are reflective of the colors at the opposite end. The top and bottom of this painting also show a similar reflection making it feel balanced. In this open composition, both colors and shapes seem to move off the edges of the canvas. The application of color is so flowing that there appears to be an absence of brush strokes. The unprimed canvas is left exposed in areas providing a background of contrasting white. McChesney uses a brighter gold and adds a stronger presence of dark red than is found in Woofer’s work.

An island off the coast of Italy and the city of Forio became the subject of Emerson Woofer’s abstract landscape in 1959 titled “Forio”. This painting, also done in oil on a rectangular canvas is 46 x 35 3/8 inches. It was done in a portrait format. Strong vertical, horizontal, and diagonal strokes made with a wide brush form a deep black textured square sitting above the painting’s center. A small white square sits inside the black square, also above its center line, but it was added while the black paint was still wet and thick - becoming impure in the process by picking up the darker pigment. It vies to be the focal point with the monumental form behind it. These geometric shapes are surrounded by an expanse of gold painted thinly over a gray primed canvas - which cools the tone of the whole piece. Similar whitish shapes were also dabbed into the gray/gold beneath the commanding square flanked by black ones below them. Smudges of gray and drops of black are seen above and below the main focus. Only on close inspection does one notice the small band, at the top of the painting, of a lighter color and bright gold strokes that look similar to Arabic writing. The contained composition is bordered with a thin line of dull red.

The combination of the artist’s selections allows McChesney’s “Mexico B14” to pull us into a panoramic view swirling with the heat of unbounded passion and a shadowing of shifting unrest over a parched reality. There is a visceral and raw sensual feeling about it. We become aware of movement, as if we were above the earth and seeing clouds moved by the wind across the sky in shape-shifting streams of color with the earth sometimes visible and sometimes not. McChesney accomplishes this by the use of flowing colors swirling across the canvass and past its edges giving it an unbounded feeling from an atmospheric perspective. The unpainted areas of the canvas remind us of a land so parched that nothing grows there. The bright gold against the red creates the heat of passion. The black pigment moves over the brighter colors in a disturbing way which speaks of unrest. The vertical lines to the right of the paintings center resembles a spine and the organic shapes described by the linear designs below it embody a pelvis while those above give the impression of cascading hair - all of which when seductively draped in transparent reds and black give the feeling of sensuality and passion – of blood or the essence of life. The movement is communicated by the linear designs being seen under the transparent colors and then lost under the denser areas. More subtle is the movement portrayed in a crossed diagonal pattern creating a dynamic oblique relationship to the whole of the composition. This same technique that provides movement also gives the painting symmetry which at once makes the vista exciting, overwhelming, and livable.

The artistic choices make by Woelffer in his landscape, “Forio” takes us to a disturbing place of isolating and repelling darkness which looks to be as much the prison-fortress as Alcatraz Island. Overall, there is a depressing, deadening, almost menacing or aggressive feeling. Goodness or life essence itself seems to be swallowed up in this dark place. It is as if the artist was warning us that you must know who you are before coming here or you could get lost. The horizon shows a glimmer of brightness and energy which is at once close enough to see but still too distant to touch. Woelffer accomplishes this reality with minimal art. The heavy application of paint inside the sharp exterior angles of the large square creates the feeling of aggressiveness. The blackness lends itself to a deadening and a heavily depressive atmosphere. That this dominating square sits above the center of the painting gives it a disturbing, off-balanced almost floating sensation. It also lies under the horizon line and that makes it earth-bound. The echoing of this placement, of the white square within the black, acts like an exclamation point to this statement. The tainting of goodness or the depletion of life force is depicted by the application of the white on wet black paint so that the purity of the white is diluted and almost overwhelmed by the assimilating black pigment. This theme continues in the juxtaposition of smaller whitish shapes being trapped between the large black square and the smaller, but powerful black ones below them. The gray/gold spreads itself around the prison-fortress in its coldness, firmly establishing the impression of isolation. That notion is reinforced by looking to the horizon where the bright city lights on the coastline depict the gaiety or energy of its nightlife which can be seen in the distance but not partaken of.

The landscape that McChesney experienced and gave voice to and the one that Woelffer shared with us - gave expression to the energy or spirit of what they saw and felt. Those impressions guided and shaped their individual choices of medium, composition, line, shape, color, and value. They have invited us step out of our comfort zone, to see reality at a layer that at first seems unfamiliar to us, because it has been stripped of realistic representation. The sensitive place inside us deciphers this layer with intuitive recognition. If we have not been to that geographic location, we can easily recognize the emotions that these paintings convey and in an instant, we can “see” what these artists saw and “feel” what they felt, as if we stood beside them – observing with them!

Public Sculpture of South Korea - Summer Abroad 2007

2008-10-20T10:30:00.008-06:00

In the summer of 2007 I went on a Utah State University study abroad art program to Korea and China. Here are some of the photographs I took of the public sculptures I had an opportunity to see.

Infinite Possibilities

2008-10-20T10:21:00.003-06:00

By Pamela Bendio

I am celebrating tonight!
Come and raise your glass
in a toast with me…
Let us drink life in deeply
and make our feet to
dance its dance…
moving easily
to its many rhythms…

Here is to all those moments
I pushed through the hesitation
and opened the door to
what scared me most…
somehow, finding the courage to
walk through and wrestle with
whatever was on the other side…
knowing, that if I was
true to myself, that I would
come away unscathed –
stronger and freer than before.

Here is to all the
Hard experiences
This life brings to me
And how tumbling through them
Knocks off all the rough edges
And makes of me a polished stone
In God’s perfect pocket…

Come and join me
In my celebration…
For my soul has awakened
to a divine intoxication
of wondrous possibilities –
mine and
yours!

Come, let us
drink life in deeply together
making our feet to dance to its
intimate and passionate rhythms of
infinite possibilities!

The making of "The Path to enlightenment: Mystic Embrace"

2008-10-13T13:47:00.004-06:00

She Held Out Her Hand

2008-10-10T15:18:00.003-06:00

Lost on the streets of Istanbul while searching for the Blue Mosque, I came upon a small, old mosque in disrepair with its doorways all boarded up. Since I was not far from the Grand Bazaar where I had spent some time admiring the silk scarves, fabric, rugs, glass, drums, and other musical instruments, I was familiar with some of the items and their going rate.

Each vendor came out from his stall or storefront as was their custom, accosting the tourist with an ever-changing price in the barter banter that could be heard everywhere. These vendors watched each approaching person with great attention to see what bauble caught their eye, before exploding in a cacophony of all the reasons to buy, shamelessly moving from one potential buyer to the next.

A young boy had seen me with my packages as I exited the Bazaar and inquired what I had paid for this or that, and then loudly proclaimed that I had paid far too much and must learn to barter better or hire someone like him to get the best price for me.

Consequently, it was no surprise that I was feeling a little overwhelmed as I hurried past the many street vendors eager for my money. There was one I passed but I was drawn back to an old woman who sat with a scarf on her head in traditional clothing, with her legs crossed in the shadow of the old mosque. I saw her crippled feet and her wares minimally displayed. It wasn’t because of her plight that I returned. It was the words and the gesture combined – for she held out her hand with a small, heart-shaped piece of glass – not to beg, but to give. “Free, lady, free for you… no money… no money!” – so refreshing, so simple with an honesty in her voice that was compelling.

So there I was, standing in front of her, to look at the pretty blue glass in her briefcase open on the ground beside her just off to the side of the walkway. Glancing at the various round sizes, I quickly pointed to one of the smaller pieces and asked, “How much?”

“One million,” she said.

As I bent down to look more closely, noticing as I did that the quality was not as good as I had seen earlier, she reached toward me and pinned the tiny, glass heart on my shirt. I was amazed at her generosity. She had the appearance of owning very little and making do with a simple, but meager, life.

“I’ll take two,” I said. I gave her the 2 million lira willingly without bartering, paying more than I knew I would elsewhere, and picked out the glass pieces, careful to leave the best behind. As I did so, she dropped another heart-shaped pin into my hand. She looked into my eyes and I knew that she understood what I’d done. I could see she was happy.

“God bless you,” I said. My heart was full. All the clamor and confusion of the surrounding streets was swallowed up in this simple exchange.

She smiled – her eyes brimming and blew me a kiss with a humble, yet wise nod – and I knew

that somehow, in that moment, we had both found God.

JinMan Jo

2008-10-10T15:16:00.000-06:00

I work slowly and steadily,

as if I were a consistent

drop of water that, over time,

creates a hole in the rock.

I am a prayer of

joy and satisfaction

without stress.

I am like a rock

In deep water;

dark and heavy, but

not without hope.

In sculpting, I tell my story,

with hope that you, the observer,

will begin your own journey of self-discovery,

and in the process, become mindful of

your connectedness

with all humanity.

Words by JinMan Jo

Poem by Pamela Bendio

Transparency

2008-10-10T15:08:00.005-06:00

The expression of

purified emotion ,

rather than a strong

visual impression,

connected to the

traditional way

of thinking about

equilibrium and sincerity --

captured on rice paper,

with lines and color that are

without shadow or volume --

no dark areas,

no obstacles,

no prejudgments,

and no haughtiness --

so that you can almost see

“through it” perfectly.

Colors both ritually

and physically washed –

removing most of the color

by doing this --

Constantly

modifying, simplifying

both color and composition --

sweeping lines on paper

just as I once did as a child

using a stick to sweep the ground

in the open and vacant space

of my yard.

My mind appreciating nature

while meditating on human life

and how it is supported

by the hope of an ideal world

where every conflict

has been forgotten.

or resolved.

Words by Man Soo Lee

Poem by Pamela Bendio

The Lighthouse

2008-10-09T20:47:00.002-06:00

By Pamela Bendio

On a clear and sunlit day
a captain’s eyes will follow
the coastline and look for
the friendly tower standing
ever firm and fast on the sea’s edge,
and know from its distinctive markings
exactly where he is…
and with charts in hand
on peaceful seas…
find that route that keeps him safe
from rugged rock and hidden shoals…
guiding his ship safely into the harbor
of his purposed destination.

But, some days,
become as black as night…
and then when his ship
is tossed about on wind-swept seas,
and he struggles to remain upright
on the shifting deck beneath his feet,
in his rain-drenched clothes,
under gloomy and cloud-filled skies
split by lightning flashes and
punctuated by the thundering sounds which
resonate alarmingly in his benumbed bones…
that same promising coastline…
now looming dangerously close…
becomes his deadly enemy.

In this most precarious
and perilous moment,
the captains eye’s search
for the commanding rhythmic light…
emanating from that watchful tower…
that pierces the darkness
in the consistency of its individual characteristic
with its light burning inside,
a safeguarded light that is
amplified, reflected, and
released in pulses…
giving both steady guidance
and a warning to all who come
within its influential radius…

“Choose now to change
your course, and live!”

School Daze

2008-10-09T20:23:00.008-06:00

The Direction: Landscape and Structure Study - create a sculpture that can be displayed outside in December.

The Inspiration: I wanted to create something that would be bright against the snow, large enough to be visible against the backdrop of the two story building, water proof, and kinetic. It also needed to be in-expensive and easily transportable and relative to the scholastic or artist process. The time frame for displaying was the week before finals, so pencils and paper would be tools that every student taking an exam or preparing art work would need to use. The "paper" acts as a sail and the sculpture pivots on the pencil "lead."

The Medium/Materials: (2) 3” black PVC pipe, (1) 4” x4” x 10’ fir; one steel metal rod, quick setting cement, a metal pipe (to hold the steel rod) fitting into a piece of scrap metal pipe of a larger diameter, a piece of sheet metal, spray primer and paints appropriate for the surface, (4) 5/8 bolts with washers and nuts, 1” screws, a plastic trash can, metal Christmas tree stand and construction rod .

The Unfinished “Sculpted” Chair

2008-10-09T19:58:00.004-06:00

The Direction: Form and Structure Study: Design and build a chair that will hold your weight.

The Inspiration: I modified the plans for a chaise lounge which used 4 x 4 lumber to create an oversized chair. The project was ambitious for I not only wanted to "sculpt" a chair from wood but to decorate it with carvings. Flaws in the assembly were remedied by drilling holes into the legs and then tapping and gluing wooden dowels into it and the chair was sanded. Alas, living in student apartments found me parting with my "Unfinished Sculpted Chair" in wood.

The Medium/Materials: (5) 4” x 4” x 10’ lumber, glue (wood glue, liquid nails, epoxy)

The Endless Cycle - Self Portrait

2008-10-09T19:18:00.004-06:00

The Direction: Self Portrait – not a realistic representation of my own body but rather abstract shapes that suggest or embody who I am.

The Inspiration: comes from my esoteric nature. What better to represent my esoteric inclination than the letter “Samech” from the Hebrew Alphabet? Jewish mysticism imbues this letter with many meanings but the central one is “The Endless Cycle”. My life has been a full one with many beginnings and endings in a constant search for more light and knowledge. Numbers are highly significant – the repetition of the letter eight times moves the letter past perfection (7) and into completion. I am searching to reach perfection and completion in my life as well as in my art.

More information on the the letter “Samech” can be found by clicking here.

The Medium/Materials: Self-adhesive floor tile, metal threaded rod with acorn nuts, black plastic hose, particle board wood, and black paint.

The Camel and the Fish

2008-10-09T19:08:00.009-06:00

The Inspiration for this piece comes from the poem, “Damn Thirsty” by the Persian Poet Hafiz. Every so often in our own lives, we wake up and discover that “where we are” is not nourishing to our essential nature. In that “moment of awareness” or “wakefulness” we are given the opportunity to speak our needs, change direction or environment, and choose to be true to ourselves.

Damn Thirsty

First

The Fish needs to say,

"Something ain't right about this

Camel Ride --

And I am

Feeling so damn

Thirsty"

From: The Gift - Poems by Hafiz, Daniel Ladinsky p.198

For more information on Hafiz click here.

The Medium/Materials: steel wire (22 guage) and gold wire (fine gage). Base: 18' x 18" ceramic tile.

My Thoughts Are Like Rivers

2008-10-08T10:51:00.005-06:00

My thoughts are
like rivers running to the sea

The sea, where knowledge is pooled
in stillness and reflected in meditation

This collection of poetry explores many of life's most perplexing questions; celebrates anew the awe and wonder of nature; and offers insight, wisdom, understanding, and hope.

It vividly describes the simple joys of everyday life to the more exotic northern lights. It takes you through a gamut of emotions by candidly discussing challenges and issues in a thought-provoking, inspiring, and uplifting way.

Pam is best known for her ability to paint with words; words that have been etched deeply into her heart by grief, faith, and gratitude. Her poetry is a gift from God as her soul pours out its expressions.

To preview and order click here!

The Path to Enlightenment: Mystic Embrace

2008-10-07T18:00:00.015-06:00

The Path to Enlightenment: Mystic Embrace

Forged steel, 91 x 71 cm x 183 cm

By Pamela Bendio

The Path to Enlightenment depicts a flowing road leading up to a horizon marked by mountains and sky with the sun as the focal point. Arriving at the hilltop, the travelers are confronted by a great gulf between them and the elusive horizon. Looking through the opening in the sky, the travelers see the sun representing their desired destination of enlightenment. When properly aligned, the travelers find their image is mirrored in the sun and they are now looking back at where they have been, thereby generating a mystic embrace with their potential selves.

See also:

The Path to Enlightenment: Mystic Embrace

Forged steel, 91 x 71 cm x 183 cm

By Pamela Bendio

“Thus we see that the Lord is merciful unto all who will, in the sincerity of their hearts, call upon his holy name.

“Yea, thus we see that the gate of heaven is open unto all, even to those who will believe on the name of Jesus Christ, who is the Son of God.

“Yea, we see that whosoever will may lay hold upon the word of God, which is quick and powerful, which shall divide asunder all the cunning and snares and the wiles of the devil, and lead the man of Christ in a strait and narrow course across that everlasting gulf of misery which is prepared to engulf the wicked.

“And land their souls, yea, their immortal souls, at the right hand of God in the kingdom of heaven, to sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and with all our holy fathers to go no more out.”

Book of Mormon, Helaman 3: 27-30

The Path to Enlightenment: Mystic Embrace is a visual remembrance of the greatness of God and the promises He has made to His children, that as we become men and women of Christ, that Christ is able to lead us in a strait and narrow course and return us safely to God’s presence. This sculpture depicts a narrowing path leading to a hilltop where the distant horizon is marked by mountains (temples), sky (the heavens), and looking beyond the horizon of this life to the sun (the kingdom of God as well as the Son of God) as the focal point.
Arriving at the hilltop, the travelers are confronted by a great gulf – the gulf of everlasting misery, which is prepared to engulf the wicked – that stands between them and the elusive horizon. Looking through the opening in the sky (the gate of heaven), which is open unto all those who will believe on the name of Jesus Christ, the travelers see the sun representing their desired destination of enlightenment as they become even as He is.
Thus properly aligned and qualified, the travelers find unity with God and Christ as their image is mirrored in the sun and they are held there in a mystic embrace with their potential, fully-developed selves. Thus we see that Christ has led them across that great gulf and landed their immortal souls in the kingdom of heaven as He promised He would. Here the traveler is at home mingling with the prophets of God and finding rest with them.
The sculpture itself sits on a base of water in motion – representing the turbulence of trials and tribulations, but also the waters of life, or being nourished by the good word of God. The travelers’ knowledge of God’s words and His promises allows them to pause and view, at any moment, their journey from God’s perspective, rejoicing in His goodness and mercy, praising His power to redeem them, and joyfully acknowledging all the other great blessings God bestows upon them.

Undergraduate Research & Creative Opportunties Grant (URCO )
Women's Art - Women's Vision: National Women's History Celebration
Student Showcase, pg. 21

Photography by Kristie Bezold