Tree trunks cast shadows across the snow.

Shadows on my Mind

January has brought some bright blue-sky days, with strong sunlight casting shadows on the snow. These dark lines are a common winter sight in Quebec, and in my garden Glen Villa, in Quebec’s Eastern Townships.     Usually, these shadows are simply a visual echo of the real thing, but occasionally they appear more substantial than the object…

The tree stood between the house and the garage, the flat-roofed building seen here.

Tree Rings

Tree Rings, my most recent sculpture, was installed at Glen Villa a few weeks ago. Making this sculpture has been more challenging technically and mentally than I anticipated. Certainly it has taken longer than I thought it would. The project began in September 2014 when the top of an old maple tree blew off during a heavy…

The statue of Diana Robing is a replica of the one placed there by Mabel Choate

What Makes Sculpture Work?

In the last week I’ve been visiting gardens and looking at sculpture and art installations, indoors and out. I’ve visited art museums, gardens where sculpture is integrated into the setting, gardens with temporary sculpture exhibitions and sculpture parks where commissioned pieces are site specific. It’s been a fabulous experience, instructive as well as enjoyable. I started my week…

The trees that the storm blew down were big, but shallowly rooted.

What’s With the Weather?

  Despite the bright sun that was shining half an hour ago, there’s a cloud bursting now, right outside my window. This cloudburst follows another one last night that knocked out our electricity and blew down three birch trees and a maple.     Cloudbursts happen. Rain comes. But these storms are faster and fiercer than…

The façade of Ferrara

Stories in Stone

The cathedral in Ferrara, Italy was begun in 1135. Dedicated to the Virgin Mary and to the city’s patron saint, St George, it combines Romanesque and Gothic styles in a way I find extremely appealing. The façade is richly decorated — and with a purpose. In the days when most people were illiterate, stories were…

This overview of Taizé gives a sense of the entire project.

Taizé: A Project for the International Garden Festival at Métis, Quebec

Last fall I submitted a proposal to the International Garden Festival at Métis, Quebec as part of a mulit-disciplinary team. The Festival is one of the leading annual garden festivals in the world —  a “forum for innovation and experimentation and an exceptional showcase and launching pad for participating designers from a host of disciplines,” to quote…