I created my first leather blessing bowl in 2003 as a therapy project.
Diagnosed as legally blind I wanted to prove to myself I was NOT blind.
When the second bowl I created brought $450.00 at a fund raiser my art business was born.
Today you can find my art in galleries and shops in Montana, Idaho, Illinois, North Carolina, Oregon, Utah, Colorado and New Mexico.
I was looking back at some old photos of my first pieces and decided I wanted a place to keep track of the evolution of my work.
That is the purpose of this blog. You will find the first piece I created when my sight was very poor up to my most recent works.
The more current gallery pieces include a link to the gallery where they reside waiting for their perfect home.
Now that my sight is restored it is fun to see how far I have come not only in my personal life, but in my art as well.
Artist Statement
I include a copy of this statement with each peice. "I love working with leather. It is unpredictable, much like our journey through life."
Attempts to force the leather into a specific shape can take lots of time and energy producing less than desirable results. If allowed to take on its own form the result is magnificent.
Applications of identical colors and finishes react differently with each piece of leather creating delightful surprises. That is why each piece is one of a kind.
The first leather bowl was crafted after eye surgery as a therapy project to prove I was not blind. The journey through surgeries and ever changing sight brought many lessons. It was as if the leather bowls were reflections of life. I began seeing them as containers to hold all the good and positive things in life. They represented a willingness on my part to receive blessings, and became my “blessing bowls”. The most asked question when someone sees the leather bowls for the first time is "What do you put in them?" Much like a basket, they hold anything that is not wet. No matter what you choose to place in your bowl I trust you will add some of your own blessings as well. If we focus each day on life’s blessings it will change the way we see our world.
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