Knots

My process for a proposal to creating of the sculpture

Knots

For the Sculpture Walk Springfield

3ft x 3ft x 7ft

Growth, community, and endurance are three things I have found in common from my time served in the Navy and Army and now in my sculptural artistic expression.  In that spirit, I want to create a sculpture that ties those together.  My idea is to symbolize knots through a metal sculpture painted in navy blue, army green, and gold. I am creating a sculpture that both the veteran and artistic communities can enjoy.  You will see a structure that forms a square knot and figure eight knot from a distance, but it will not be solid.  This sculpture will be made from sliced steel sheets separated every 6 inches to be stable and see-through. It will hold together with three ½ steel rods, each 10ft in length, making the sculpture, once put together, 6-7 feet tall. 

Each segment will have words of courage and honor for oneself or one’s country. These words will be words that I hold dear from what the military has taught me.  One thing I miss the most about being out of the military is the sense of camaraderie.  I want to create a piece that brings others together so that maybe a bit of camaraderie can be found again. But this piece can mean so much more than that.  I have found that as a disabled veteran, I can have feelings of stress as though my muscles and joints are tied in knots. I have had the opportunity to express myself through art, allowing myself to relax and heal. My pieces have allowed me to share how I feel and learn that I am not alone in many of those feelings.  By sharing my art, I hope to enable others to realize this.  We are not alone; we have a place within our communities.