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