The global pandemic of 2020 disrupted many things, but also served to reset many things in my life (as it has seemed to do for many). Perhaps the most excited thing for me personally is that it re-catalyzed my passion for sculpting and for wood. There was a large chapter of my career that was devoted to woodworking and fine furniture building but I had never consciously sought to merge these two passions until now. I began to outfit myself with the tools I would need and also looked for large pieces of wood in my community. I made a point to seek out sections of trees that had already been cut down - either because they were diseased/dying, or had to be removed for safety and development purposes.
This piece is the first of a body of work I started earlier this year that explores a cross-pollinating hypothetical of natural, mystical, and indigenous as it relates to the natural world around us, here in Cascadia. I’ve always been enamored and curious about the tendencies towards anthropomorphizing nature to suit a whim. I do this often myself - with my dogs, birds I see in the yard, even clips I see of animals in videos and on social media. Perhaps the most recognizable Monotreme is the Duck-billed Platapus, which is not native to the Pacific Northwest. What might an abstract, hypothetical species look like in this region that bore characteristics of bird and mammal? This new body of work will include geotag coordinates for where the tree lived. My hope is this small step honors the tree and the life it had.