In the quiet of the early days of Covid I began a series of drawings based upon an encounter with a humble stone. This stone was tied to the end of a string which led up and over a garden wall. I moved in to observe it more closely and wondered, “what is fastened to the other end of the string?” The curious object sparked a series of internal questions and came to symbolize, for me, a truth at the heart of the human condition: the truth that we are all tethered to a weighted stone—perhaps one of sorrow, regret, promise, or simply the unknown.
Over time I discovered more hanging stones—70 in all. I began imagining the counterweights, collaborating with the flowering life on the other side of the wall, as a workforce. I noticed that each stone was specifically chosen and purposefully tasked. Isn’t this what we all want...to be chosen for our strength and uniqueness; to perform the work we are called to do?
Each stone has a story and I feel summoned to tell it. Whereas the drawings explore images of the stones, the books, though unfilled (as I do not know the language of stone) represent the significance of their stories.
Each drawing is 8.5"x8.5". The rectangular ones are slightly larger.