...I picked up some clay and started sculpting. I did a tremendous amount of research (which I enjoy). For each saint, I made sure I used at least a dozen different sources of information. (I was surprised by both the similarities and the differences among the "facts.") From these, I distilled the essences I liked best, while including whatever verifiable facts I could find. That's when I decided that "illuminated" manuscripts, giving the legend and lore of each saint would make the sculptures much more meaningful. Besides, the teacher/editor in me couldn't let this info go to waste once I was finished with it!

At first I made sketches, but as I became more familiar with the medium, I began to experience that wonderful synergy when knowledge, emotion, and vision come together, almost magically springing from your hands. I feel truly blessed to have fingers that can move materials around and make them do what I want them to do. While I like to incorporate numerous symbols in each piece, the image and design itself is entirely from my imagination. Though I've certainly tried to look at every image ever created about a particular saint, I don't think any of my pieces look like anything that's been done before. In fact, that may be why I felt it was necessary to somehow incorporate the saint's name in each piece.

I worked on my saints late at night or early in the morning when the kids were in bed. Late one night, just as I was experiencing one of those thrills of creative synergy, when everything seems to "work," an old Moody Blues (?) tune come on the radio: It's all clear...you were meant to be here...

And I knew that was true.

So here I am.....