Sacred Statues like Buddha, Kuan Yin, Ganesha, and Goddesses

Sacred statues are my favorite pieces to create. Of course I love designing all our pieces, but the sacred statues manifest the gratitude I have for compassion and healing, silence and joy, creativity and love, and above all, the calm awareness I experience in life. They express my ardent hope that others will be reminded, and inspired, to guide themselves on their own paths.

The designs I create are sparked by intuition or inspired by memories of the sacred places I have had the privilege to visit. During my decades of travel, I’ve taken photographs of many divine images and spaces: Buddhas, Kuan Yins, Ganeshas, cathedrals, sacred trees, magical valleys and mysterious caves.

I seek out universal symbols that go beyond religion which I then combine into pieces meant to touch and inspire the human heart. I might create Buddha with a Venetian window framing him or a Ganesha on a tiger instead of a rat.

That moment of intuition or inspiration comes suddenly: Sunlight hitting a detail of a Balinese wall carving, a piece of music playing at a restaurant, the sound of frogs after a monsoon rain can all trigger a vision. My task is to embrace it, harness creative energy, and bring the sacred statue to life.

With an ethereal image in my mind, I then order the material depending on what I want to convey and what I feel suits the piece. Bone is thin so rarely chosen, but wood, jet, tagua, or mammoth each have specific meanings that fuse with my initial vision.

Once the carving is finished, I chose a base. I have a large glass cabinet filled with crystals, minerals, and other stones that I use for bases. I hold the carving over a number of these to see which one creates a harmonic resonance with the sculpture. If using a wood or jet base, I decide the shape or the design if I want a carving on it. It’s then carved to fit the piece.

Sometimes a sacred statue requires silver and or gold ornaments, so I visit my favorite metalsmith and explain what I want. He is a delight to work with.
These pieces take months from start to finish. They are created with love and caring and I am filled with gratitude for the opportunity to do this work.