Mother Nature

This is "Mother Nature", who just got finished with a major make-over.

She is made from Indiana Limestone and measures 8' high x 3' x 3' and weighs around a ton.

...and walking around the piece....

She is imbedded in a concrete base.  This is a technique that I had never used before - an experiment.

This project began in 2016 when I got a commission for a Virgin Mary to be installed in Cincinnati.

I had this 20' long stone block from Reed Quarry of Bloomington, IN.

I split off 8' and moved it inside, but I finally realized that it just wasn't thick enough to have the hands out in front of the figure.

I bought another semi load of stone to finish the commission.  This is the installed piece at a private residence in Cincinnati

Since the first version was already started and still in the studio, I decided to finish it and pour the concrete base around the bottom.  On Halloween 2017, we hired a crane to move the 2,000 lb. sculpture outside.

 For the last 5 years, I have used it as a feeding platform for wildlife.  We pour cracked corn and sunflower seeds on the concrete base at least twice everyday (yes, that gets a little expensive...).  One morning while drinking coffee and looking at the piece, I envisioned the changes to turn the Virgin Mary into Mother Nature - and it is a GREAT improvement!