Tag: turned sphere

Corn Moon

I as Virgo wait…
Las tres hermanas juntas,
The Earth’s bounty waits.

Maple wood carving with copper of indigenous "three Sisters":corn, squash and beans

“Corn Moon” is the latest in my Full Moon series. I’ll admit that I was stumped for ideas when contemplating this piece. It wasn’t until I read Robin Wall Kimmeremer’s book “Braiding Sweetgrass” that I began to understand the significance of the Corn Moon.

Through multi-generational observation and story telling, indigenous peoples around the world have come to understand and explain the reciprocity to each other and the land that the “three sisters” (Corn, beans and squash) embody.

Here Corn Moon is more than about corn alone. It is tall and strong allowing beans to climb and set nitrogen in the soil which the corn needs to grow. Squash with its big shady leaves that keep the soil cool and moist, has strong tendrils that explore the neighboring land looking for places to rest its fruit as it grows. We see each plant with its distinctive characteristics growing together with a mutually beneficial synergy. Not only do the plants thrive, but they give food to us in return for allocating space where they can enjoy each other’s company.

Dimensions/Materials/Methods: 7.5″ diameter; 14.5″ tall; maple, sycamore, copper, aniline dyes, pyrography

Corvid Moon, final

  • “Corvid Moon” 7″ tall, 12″ diameter
    sycamore, birdseye maple and hard maple
    Aniline dye and shellac finish
Corvid Moon” is the third piece in the “Virgo” series featuring the full moon. It was inspired by both Greek and Pacific North West Indigenous creation stories. The one I am drawn to most comes from the indigenous people of British Columbia where Raven brings light, stars and the moon to the people of Earth. I started planning the design and construction of this piece just after Christmas, 2019 and have worked steadily on it for four weeks. It is made from sycamore (base), bird’s eye maple (top of base, body, wings and tail) and hard maple (head). The body, tail and wings were initially turned from a single piece of wood. After a month of cutting, carving, filing, sanding and reassembly Corvid emerged. Coloring is by transparent water-based aniline dyes and finished with coats of shellac and wax.