For a few weeks, I had wracked my brain trying to decide what my next sculpture should be. This part of the creative process is more difficult than one would imagine. For a sculpture to be successful it must have both motion and emotion. This is vital because sculpture, unlike a painting, typically does not rely on color to convey its message.  The sculpture also has to have meaning, not only for the viewer but for myself as well.  I have to absolutely fall in love with an image or concept in order to sculpt it. I figure that if I don’t love it, nobody else will either.  It’s the love of the image or the concept that helps propel me through the process and motivates me to stretch the limits of both my skills and imagination.

I knew that I wanted to create a piece that would give people a sense of hope but what image would convey that? Then one morning as I was transitioning from a state of sleep to wakefulness, it came to me. In my head, I heard the words “divine whisper”. My mind went immediately to an old picture that I had seen of two women in deep conversation.  You could feel the closeness and intimacy between them as they seem to share some kind of secret. It was clear from the image that one woman was giving her friend some important advice or help.

I had always wanted to sculpt an angel and thought of how amazing it would be to capture the moment a guardian angel advises her human charges.  What could possibly be more hopeful or inspirational than that? I believe that these special messengers surround us at all times and are ready to assist us on our life journey.  All we need to do is ask for their assistance. Angels provide unseen help in some of the most remarkable ways. Sometimes it comes in the form of a nudge or a thought. Sometimes it comes from seemingly unrelated, “random” happenstances. Sometimes it comes through people who come across our paths at precisely the right time.

I have received tremendous help from the seen and the unseen world. Every person who helps me provides a unique combination of gifts and talent that I do not possess. I am deeply grateful for each one of them. My husband, Mike, provides counsel that is wise, practical, and pragmatic. My sister-in-law, Marla, whose enthusiasm for my work is positively contagious, keeps me motivated. Then there is my niece, Katey, who models for me at the drop of a hat. I think she keeps her bathing suit with her at all times just in case! My two kids always provide honest feedback, and they both provide creative and “out of the box” ideas for me to consider. Then there is Teri. What would I do without her? I know one thing for sure, I would not be on my current path if not for Teri. Teri is a beautiful person on so many levels and possesses great wisdom and business acumen. She is a strategic thinker and she is a woman of vision. She sees things that I don’t see. Teri is also the model for the angel in this celestial sculpture. You can feel the ethereal energy in this piece as she provides counsel and direction to her human charge who is listening intently to her words of wisdom. Divine Whisper represents hope. Hope that we are not alone and that if we ask for guidance and help, it will come in the most unexpected ways with impeccable timing.