Painted wood and clay, 55" x 16" x 16", 2011

The pregnant Virgin Mary, the ultimate symbol of a creative vessel, sits on a pedestal depicting the Annunciation (the Angel Gabriel telling Mary she is pregnant). The piece explores how the fecund stream of Creativity enters the world. Mary here is the Womb, the physical location of creation. She is the artist’s exemplar. The endless wellspring of creativity is constantly seeking to pour through the artist so that it may be joined with matter in the act of making art. This is the artist’s sacred duty, channeling Above into below.

For more on the symbolism of the Virgin Mary as creative vessel see my blog here and here.