This piece was a long process to complete because of all the materials needed. I began by assembling the trunk of the tree with coils. After finishing I added clay onto the surface and used tools to create the bark texture. When I went to fire the piece I had to cut it in half in order for it to fit in the kiln. After being fired I attached the two pieces back together and painted it realistically with browns, tans and greens. The plaster top was created by starting with a base of chicken wire and newspaper for support. I plastered the chicken wire and textured the surface by using plaster of Paris of different consistencies. I also did plaster casts of a face and two arms to add to the piece.
Entitled, Lost in Transition, the piece is an exploration into the human mind and how the mind reacts to sudden change. The man is stuck in the tree, not his human self, but his mind and soul. The leaves are falling and the tree is transitioning from summer to winter in the fall. The man is scared that he will no longer be alive if all the leaves fall because it is where he exists. He isn’t sure if he will return in the spring and to avoid this fate he tries to escape, but is not able to do.