This year for the Art of Conservation I wanted to create pieces inspired by the idea of "omens". There are both positive and negative connotations to this word. An omen can be a harbinger of something terrible to come, or a sign of hope and change for the future.
For me the latter resonates. I do not want to think of our future, particularly for the natural world, as doomed and beyond repair. I see so much hope and many people fighting to preserve and restore what is and has been lost, even if that battle is often uphill.
Sometimes there are spirits in the forest...
Ones waiting to be awakened for the right time.
They emerge with silent footfalls
only making their presence known
when change is on the horizon.
They come to us to restore balance.
They give hope for a coming time
of bounty, of harmony, of peace
They are a ghost,
a glimmering spirit,
a glimpse of what could be-
if only we take the time to see, to listen, and to rise to the challenge.
Kermode bears, often known as spirit bears, are white variations of black bears and occur in about 1 in 100 births. They are the result of a recessive gene that causes white pigmentation in their fur. They have been revered by indigenous peoples for their uniqueness as symbols of change and power. They were believed to have the supernatural ability to take people to magical places and the sighting of such an extremely rare individual reminds us of the wonder of nature and how important it is to protect our wild spaces.
Handmade ceramic bowl featuring hand sculpted white bear and forest waterfall scene. Bowl measures approximately 5.25" diameter and 3.25" height.
All materials used are food and dishwasher safe. However, to best preserve your favorite animals I recommend hand washing.
I do my best to photograph every piece accurately, however, due to the many variations in monitors and browsers, the color of products may appear differently on different monitors and in different light settings.
50% of the proceeds of this piece will be donated to the National Park Foundation to support their conservation efforts. To Learn more about their work please visit www.nationalparks.org
