About ‘Stepping Stones’ Series
‘Stepping Stones’ is a series of twelve handcrafted works of art that form an abstract view of what could be described as an emotional journey. Each leather piece has been hand painted with natural lacquers and ground minerals, sewn together with natural gut and framed with bamboo, strengthened by string.
The twelve individual works of art were first created in 1995 and have been allowed to age and mature over the years to give an essence of ambiguity. Initially, when I created this piece of art the intention was to sew and stretch pieces of leather over a frame that would represent the emotions that I was feeling in that time when I was trying to rebuild part of my life. I know the next thing may sound very strange to some people, every time I added a piece of leather to the whole it was like I beginning to put my life back into order.
A sort of coming together if you will of a broken person. The stitches also remind me of the serious accidents and beatings that I had experienced through life for one thing or another. The work has become a form of healing over the years and has been of comfort to my heart. Each piece is unique in shape, size and surface pattern they also carry an individual message that forms a living programme.
As I follow this living programme and are guided by a spiritual way of life, I realised that this work had taken on new meaning. I imagine the images to be stones that help me cross safely over a raging river of emotions, that is, as long as I maintain my firm footing and don’t slip. I visualise that each step takes me nearer and nearer to a form of serenity where I find peace of mind.