Friday, June 20, 2014

Forest Spirit Series 




This series of sculptures is intended to be a window for contemplation and meditation. It could never be a substitute for spending time amongst the ancients for real, but for days when it's not possible to be there I hope it's a comforting substitute.

This first sculpture - "Forest Spirit/- Rebirth" is about the timeless cycles of death, decay, and rebirth that's integral to the health of a forest.
I have sculpted contrasting elements of life/death, male/female, ancient/new , tall/short, close/far etc. The scene is based on a photo I took at Big Basin Redwoods State Park a couple months ago. My friend and model Meghan Atziri helped me find a way to show the new tree hugging and consoling the decaying stump. The lower tree branches help to tell the story of the Forest Spirit.

I hope to hint at the vast scales of time and size in an old growth forest as well as it's interesting textures.
John Steinbeck wrote “ The redwoods, once seen, leave a mark or create a vision that stays with you always. No one has ever successfully painted or photographed a redwood tree. The feeling they produce is not transferable. From them comes silence and awe. It's not only their unbelievable stature, nor the color which seems to shift and vary under your eyes, no, they are not like any trees we know, they are ambassadors from another time. “ . I agree but it’s fun to try anyway.

Eric Haggin
"Eric The Sculptor"
925 336-6462
EricHaggin@gmail.com

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