"Ge-Ode Be-ing #1"

Artist Statement: 

In honor of Theresa Drost

1-1-1977 to 10-22-2022

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Theresa was a wise, intelligent, beautiful woman who changed my life. She was the closest thing to a Mother I had experienced. She graduated from Western Michigan University with a degree in Design. It wasn’t until after her passing that I learned it was her artwork on the walls in my dads house. I learned that she never chased her dreams. 

We can spend our entire lives chasing the dreams of others until it spreads through our body like cancer… So many factors contribute to the lives we live in the present moment. Some of those factors are uncontrollable. Family, our environment, our culture and traditions, these are conditions that directly affect our morals, values and beliefs. We have the ability to change these programs but sometimes it’s too late before we realize we never truly lived out our most authentic lives. 

Authenticity shines bright no matter where it is. The symbolism, reflection, and transparency remind me of crystals. Originally this sculpture was meant to house a terrarium of the backpacking trips we took. It changed one night when I had a dream and in this dream was Amethyst.. This crystal represents the realm of spirituality, it is often associated with purification, intuition, and spiritual growth. As a crystal of the Crown Chakra, it facilitates the connection with higher realms and aids in the expansion of consciousness. I believe if we can sit with ourselves and listen, the answer is given.

Sometimes as an artist our muse shows up in unexpected ways. While I was creating this plaster Geode using a tape model, I had it positioned sitting up with her hands on her knees. When I woke up in the morning, the model was laying on the floor in its present position. This sculpture was created after Theresa’s passing. The ironic part is she had a tattoo of a fallen angel on her lower back, in the same position as the sculpture.