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Hope Rose sculpture
May 19th, 2010 | Posted in Ceramic, Sculpture | 
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6 Comments »
Hope Rose sculpture
Hi Everyone,
Here’s a rose flower clay sculpture that I made today. I made it for my therapist’s office (I’ve been having counseling for a phobia). I’ve offered to do trade with him and he’s considering it. So if he decides not to, then I can always sell this or give it away as a gift (most often I give them away 
).
This is the largest rose I think that I’ve ever made. It doesn’t look so big in the photos but it’s 8 inches across. (It will shrink in the drying and firing process). I picked some of the flowers in my rose garden for inspiration in making the rose. The yellow peace (Chicago Peace) rose is so beautiful. I could have written “Peace” on the sculpture base and this would have been just as good. Instead, I chose “Hope” because that’s what I think of when I look at the rose.
Symbolism of the rectangle base gives me the feeling of being boxed in but then the rose is growing up out of that. Hope exists and is blooming with the biggest rose I’ve ever seen or made. It’s a simple design with no leaves but just the rose and the plain words “Hope.” I’ll probably inscribe the words a little bit more deeply and cleanly after it gets leather hard.
- Rose sculpture with rectangle base.
- 8″ wide clay flower
- Hope Rose clay sculpture
I might add a bit of clay in some of those crevices on the backside. Other than that the sculpture is finished and will need to dry slowly so that cracks or warping won’t happen. I’ll glaze the flower and leave the base unglazed.
- Back side of Rose sculpture.
Thanks for viewing the pics. I hope that others will feel more open about sharing that they have phobias or anxieties. These things are very common but so many of us want to hide them and not let others know. So for me to share this is an improvement and I hope that it helps someone else. We all have something that we’re dealing with and I think of my anxiety as an illness just as someone else may have a physical impairment. I hope that you have a peaceful and happy day.
~Tamara
6 Responses to “Hope Rose sculpture”
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hello Tamara, this is a beautiful rose, and reading the meaning of it for yourself, makes it even more special… i always admire your lifelike roses, they look so natural in how their petals curl, and how they are arranged,,,and they look so delicate, even though we know its clay and they are thicker than the original…i am looking forward to see this one glazed. yes, i think its a good idea to just glaze the rose, goes well with the intended symbolism.
i hope your anxieties have become less, as the blossoming flower indicates.
Tamara is such an inspiration to me because she has not given in to her anxieties. Instead she takes her God given talent and uses that to inspire and encourage others. This piece is an exaple of that. She has crated some pieces for me as her friend and they are the most cherished items I have in my home because they are from her! She is a dear friend and her loving personality nurtures me when I am dealing with my own health issues. She is such a loving person, so anyone who gets to know her finds that their life is only made more special and worthwhile. She, herself is a rose in the garden of my life!
Thank you Doris. You’ve always been so supportive of me and I’m blessed to have you as a friend. I’ve been feeling better this week but am still working through the fear. I’m relaxing out of it and hopefully will be done with it soon. All of my life, since I’ve had anxiety, I’ve hid it but it’s okay to open up. And if I do, it helps take the stigma out of emotional struggles that people sometimes have. If this flower goes in his office, I hope it will brighten someone’s day that needs that. I think I’ll paint it the cheery yellow flower color with pink on the edges.
Cathy- Your comments brought tears to my eyes. You are my sunshine in my life and I love you bunches. I love making you gifts and am so glad you enjoy them. You’ve been my support through this phobia and I don’t know what I’d have done without you.
I also like your rose, Tamara, and I especially like the contrast between it and the rectangle base. Despite the difference in form, there is overall a astonishing harmony in this piece.
Very well done.
Concerning the fears: Phobias and anxieties are the plagues of our time and lifestyle, I suspect there are not that much people around who are completely free of them. This may especially be true for artists, as we tend to have a sensitive character and a lot of imagination.
As a sort of compensation we have the possibility to let our fears out by putting them into our work and that’s a therapeutic strategy where in the end not only the maker will profit but also the viewers as in your case with the rose.
I know it’s a lot easier said than done, but the best way to get over fears is to face them, not to hide or avoid them, and that’s what you’re doing at the moment with your art and your therapist. So I think you’re on the right way. Thanks for sharing it with us.
I appreciate your comments Kurt. Since this is for a contemporary looking office and for a man, I wanted a simple look that wasn’t too feminine. I think I like the contrast to of the wavy flower and the straightness of the base. I’ve already put some color on the rose, underglazes of yellow and also burgundy on the edges. It’s always an experiment to see how it’ll turn out.
Regarding my fears: When I was a teenager, after my first boyfriend of 2 years left, I had given my whole heart and soul to him, and I ended up having a ton of anxiety which I didn’t even know what it was. So since that bad experience with anxiety, I have anxiety now and again and it comes upon me like getting a cold. It’s like I think of something new, a new way that anxiety might hurt me.
Because of the suffering I’ve experienced with it, it’s made me more emphathetic and also, I can express my feelings in my art.
Thanks for your kind words.
~Tamara