The Big Hug
Making
THE BIG HUG
These days I feel like
I’m always fighting back.
But between battles sometimes
I just want to curl up
in the arms of a giant tree.
That was the impulse for
THE BIG HUG.
It started one day
when I walked past an alley
and discovered…
…a magnificent frond
that had fallen
from a palm tree.
I brought it home…
…and painted resin all over
so it would last forever.
I found a clear plastic egg
online
that fit perfectly
in the cradle.
I drew a sketch of the figure
that would go inside
on thin raw silk
to bend smoothly around the curves.
Then I painted the figure
and cut it out.
Since the silk is transparent
the image would appear on both sides,
as is necessary for a folded form.
Fitting the figure into the egg
was a challenge.
After the top was glued in
how could I put in the feet?
(I cut a hole in the bottom of the egg.)
There she is nestled
inside the egg
inside the frond.
The next step
was making the arms.
Grasses to cover the arms
were preserved with resin
and painted.
The arms were made
with paper mache,
painted,
and covered
with the grass.
The redwood in my yard supplied chips
to cover the connections
and seal the egg.
Corn from my garden supplied strands
that I painted to match the frond
so the egg would be at home.
The finished egg in place
with the figure inside
twined with corn silk.
What should I name it?
The completed work suggests
birth, rebirth, gestation, incubation, sanctuary, protection, refuge, solace, love.
But finally I called it
what I wanted
from the beginning:
The Big Hug