Last week, as John Fisher began to carve the finer detail of his mother maiden figure, he talked excitedly about the nature of his relationship to the beautiful woman he was calling out of the stone. Listening, it was clear that for John, it was a moment of intimacy and charm, as if he were meeting a new love, beginning a relationship every bit as real and alive as those he cultivates with his human companions. Everyone who happened by that day seemed to feel the excitement: life was coming into focus. An enduring character, who would outlive us all, was emerging from the stone as if she'd been there for thousands of years, waiting patiently to be coaxed into being. The moment felt mythic. We were seeing the capacity of a human being to create rather than destroy, to bring forth beauty. John Fisher was embodying that remarkable, ancient dimension of human nature that is truly noble. John has spoken often of how humbling it is to be able to create in the way he does. I believe those of us who had the privilege of watching him in action that morning, understood that John isn't being falsely modest when he speaks this way. He is speaking truth, acknowledging his own awe, his respect for the dimension of creativity that connects us to something bigger than ourselves, to every artist who has gone before, and to Spirit and the Divine. There is always mystery in the conception and expression of life, and life can take many forms, including those that emerge and endure as art, becoming part of the collective experience of our species.   

John will be sculpting through September 29th and everyday the images are getting more distinct, more detailed, more beautiful.  If you haven't been by in awhile, you owe it to yourself to make the journey, and rumor has it, by the way, that Sunday they'll be another free BBQ starting at noon, an opportunity to join the community and share in the pleasure of watching John work.