Stephanie's Studio

I was pleasantly surprised to have this semi-abstract relief sculpture returned to me this week. She has been gone for a few years. She had gotten lost in the shuffle of everyday life. To be honest, I had forgotten about her. I made her quickly in an hour long workshop. Made from self-hardening clay, and then painted, I call this tiny piece that can fit in the palm of your hand, “Pregnant with Possibilities.” Her most prominent features are the three yellow orbs, supported by folded, drapery-like structures accompanied by small wings. The main emphasis is the central orb, which is the belly. The belly, symbolic of the universe, is in a state of constant flux. It holds magick, mystery, power and potential. Prominent, the belly is fully present and of the now. At the top you find the head. Between the legs there is another orb, crowning and about to be released into the world, with all the magick it holds. This relief sculpture of my inner-self, is abou...

New beginnings can be scary.  I remember so many first days of school, both as a student and particularly as an educator, and how the unknown factors of what would eventually come together to be a class, was incredibly frightening.  As a teacher, you are the facilitator, the one who makes things go smoothly, and hopefully the one who creates an encouraging, open, safe learning environment.  I also remember the new beginnings of life in my belly.  Being pregnant is such an awesome experience there are hardly words to describe it.  Eventually though, the experience grows old and you can’t wait to give birth.  After the excruciating pain of a natural child birth, you are presented with a most precious gift, a new human being and almost right away this experience, at least for me, generates intense feelings of love.  I had this immense pleasure four times and find that within my children’s lives there are constant new beginnings that make their lives a...