A wooden toymaker for 15 years, my life was dramatically changed in 1998 when my 12 year old son Ethan died. I walked away from the toy business and opened a dollhouse and miniature store. The store was a diversion and lasted for 3 years. Then while working at LL Bean I connected with my friend Deborah. We had both lost loved ones, my Ethan and Deb, her husband Charley. As our friendship grew we acknowledged a common desire to "make something of our suffering. Something beautiful and true. I painted-straight from my unconscious and Deborah wrote. We both became facilitators at Portland's Center for Grieving Children.
We played together and tried different art forms. One day in my basement we began mocking up funky houses. We pulled pieces of wood together. I cut what we wanted on the saws. No plan or blueprint. No preconceptions. Play. For a few days we worked on two pieces. I built with stars for embellishment and Deb thought about stones and Zen temples. We built. Soon we finished our projects. We lit candles on both structures and stepped back to look. We wept. I had built a home for the spirit of Ethan, the "Pleaides" and Deborah had made a home for Charlie, the "Temple of the Stone". We were unconscious of the purpose as we built but standing there we really felt the presence of our loved ones. We both had an extreme sense of purpose. "this is it!"
That was 4 years ago. Since then I have just kept playing and building. We first showed our sculpture at a garden party. The dwellings perched on stands amidst the morning glories and cosmos. Some friends looked at pieces and cried. They asked us to build something that would remind them of one they had lost. A woman asked for a sand color dwelling and a story for her daughter, a writer who loved the beach, and a daughter who died in a car crash. A man asked us to build a tribute to his wife for their first anniversary and a woman wanted a gay and brightly colored house just for fun in her daisy garden. We also built pieces which are used as a focus for meditation, acting as portals to the world without form.
Deb has moved on but, since Bliss has taken off I have left my "real" job to "follow my Bliss". I love what I do and wish more people could find work they love and have the courage to actually try to make a dream come true. The houses have evolved into totems. Webster defines a totem as: "something that serves as an emblem or revered symbol". Each piece holds a spirit or characteristic and I hope that you can find as much joy and peace in them as I do.