SANCTUARY 15
with Grandma hanging clothes on a tiny raft.
I had thought the rafts were complete.
those who rescue others.
with Grandma hanging clothes on a tiny raft.
I had thought the rafts were complete.
those who rescue others.
with Grandma hanging clothes on a tiny raft.
I had thought the rafts were complete.
those who rescue others.
SANCTUARY 14
Difficult to construct,
with multiple figures in the water, hanging on,
difficult to deal with the subject,
difficult to feel.
on a seaweed texture then topped with bark.
who grasps the braided rope of the raft
this man…
that might pull his family up.
this would be awfullydifficult for them.
SANCTUARY 13
of bulrushes that grew along the Nile
in the Old Testament tale of Moses.
Well, bulrush grasses also grow in L. A. yards
where I found them, reminding me
simplicity can be strong.
so I made a model of the gallery
where the rafts will be exhibited in July.
The scale is ½ inch = 1 foot.
The width represents 40 feet.
Of course these little stacks with blurry photos
can’t express the experience.
But the model showed me an area at the back
around 20 ft. wide and 10 feet deep
where the final element will go:
Capsized rafts.
I do hope those traveling by water arrive at a sanctuary.
But some don’t.
These 3 figures will be a small part of the capsized section,
faces down, their arms sunk into black fabric
that will cover the gallery floor like water.
Beyond them other figures will be pulled out of the sea
onto new rafts next month.
The rescues will be here soon!
SANCTUARY 12
from a huge black mural — fire, smoke, flying debris —
36 feet wide and 7 feet tall.
It’s made of two 18 foot canvases
(the seam in the center won’t be visible)
photographed on trees in my yard where it doesn’t fit.
Half the left side folds behind a tree
And I promise the gallery will not have oranges.
Sigh.
Please come see it on a big wall in July.
A frightened child clutches bags stamped “product”
at the front of a double-mast raft…
on a separate mast far behind the child.
but these desperate rigs need to be witnessed in context.
This woman, laden with bags,
holds out her palm (of clay) to visitors
in the front of another double raft.
holding the baby’s foot.
bordered by tree bark, bounded by rope
will become the base of their raft…
to sanctuary.
SANCTUARY 11
Please join me for the reception Sat., Sept. 28.
The beautiful 52 page catalog will sell there for just $25
and whatever you can donate to UNICEF.
Meanwhile SANCTUARY PART TWO has launched.
In Part One, refugees walk on land.
Part Two will be travel by sea on 20 rafts.
kneels on a sail rigged to a raft.
Is she on her way or is this a memorial?
charcoal on linen with coffee bean bags and clay hands.
constructed from foam pool noodles
wrapped in burlap, twine and rope on a plywood base.
Like most of the rafts this is almost 5 feet long and 5 feet high.
rigged to the base with rope.
expresses the mother’s hopefulness
though her children seem not as sure,
even the one who attempts to play
clinging to the rope (with clay fingers).
to hooks embedded on the sides
and sticks from my yard became cross beams.
“Flag of the Travelers” replaces the sail
with an image of those who journeyed far away.
the people who live there, not their objects.
These three women have only the bags on their heads.
tiny clay hands pray
that travelers on all the seas
will make it safely to Sanctuary.
*
17 more rafts will set sail before next summer!
SANCTUARY 10
and I’m so proud of it I have to let you know.
designed by the great Tony Pinto
and includes all 21 Sanctuary panels
with details and comments.
why I had to make all this.
we are donating $25 each to UNICEF.
They also have a focus on the Mexican border now.
It runs Sept. 24 through Oct. 19.
You can buy the catalog at the reception
Sat., Sept. 28 from 5 to 8 PM.
Email me at pamdouglaswords@aol.com
and pay by PayPal or mail me a check
and I will mail you one in August!
On behalf of UNICEF, thank you.
SANCTUARY 9
unfortunately.
Stories and images of refugees reveal
grief, anger, courage and faith that
form the heart of “Sanctuary”.
This first of 3 new panels was inspired
by a photo from UNICEF where
an aid worker pleads for children in a crowd.
My drawing doesn’t look like the ad except for
one gesture.
Can’t you help these little ones?
to reach beyond the drawing.
a man reaches beyond the ropes
in angry desperation for his own child.
(seen in the first rough sketch)
asking not for anger but compassion.
marks the weight of coffee beans
as if these children are judged as commodities
of little value.
———————————————————————————————————————
(A photo can’t capture her stature.)
The volume that crowns her head
and the burlap billowing her arm
combine with the cloth holding her baby
to create a richness.
The subject is similar but the baby’s basket is flat
and the woman seems impersonal in her dignity.
Comparing these two works 9 months apart
shows me how much this series has evolved.
and bound for New Jersey.
That’s part of this series’ perspective:
The whole world must be the sanctuary.
————————————————————————————————–
wires that once reinforced concrete
litter the ground where she must escape.
as barriers to the man carrying his child.
scraps of burlap from others going through.
(Here they are placed before being painted.)
SANCTUARY 8
On May 19 we staged a photo session for the catalog.
But these are 7 feet tall with 3-dimensional textures
that no photo could capture.
to echo shoes left behind
in the Holocaust, in slavery,
and in journeys to salvation
throughout history around the world.
we grouped 3 of the panels
where children grasp at ropes.
More refugees will join them
before this exhibit opens locally Sept. 24
and even more will come after that.
I figure on another year building “Sanctuary”
as the crises continue around the world.
the panels on a chain link fence
so viewers would walk beside them.
So the walls are around 8” tall
and this 5 1/2-inch doll
gives a sense of perspective
I wish you could have.
New people next month – watch this space!
SANCTUARY 7
mixed with anger
as he seeks refuge…
(made of a stick from my yard).
his wife gazes to the future
towards sanctuary.
____________________________________
They are not from live models or photos.
The charcoal moves until someone appears.
(drawn before twine is added).
clutch the ropes.
This is the last of 3 panels where children
desperately grip at barriers.
His father protects him with one hand
while his other hand reaches
for sanctuary.
____________________________________
It’s a classical triangle pose,
echoing a distant Renaissance.
in her shawl of burlap bags
is seeking refuge.
Behind her walk these guys —
I call them “three unwise men”…
against guns
with only their sticks.
swaddling her baby
in sanctuary.
SANCTUARY 6
4 more children came this month
or were trapped on their way.
this boy seems safe.
branded burlap bags…
the child’s hands can grab.
last month.
seems timeless in its softness.
The two little girls hold signs they made,
trying so hard for us to like them.
They break my heart.
a close-up of this sketch shows
how charcoal and pastel merge
to portray a baby…
(seen in the preliminary cut-out canvas).
Their story is revealed:
The baby doesn’t understand
why Mama took her and ran
with nothing but the clothes they wear
in search of sanctuary.
12
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