Sticks and Stones (In Progress)

       William has been working on a self portrait series in wood and stone.  Do these mediums seem unlikely since he is an abstract artist?  I think they are perfect.  William was willing to do what so few of us are, he upset the norm by leaving his chosen career path in his mid 40's and choosing to go in a completely different direction.
        His path seemed as unchangeable as stone, as solid as the large tree in my front lawn, but by exposing himself to the dramatic "weathering" process of art school-his life has been changed forever.
       These pictures are of him working on these pieces.  Splitting into his very soul, this step of allowing himself to be transformed by this experience has been an interesting journey for both of us.
         I love watching him as he engages in this process.  He is not a writer and he doesn't sketch his work before he begins, but I am allowed intimate glimpses into his thought process as he talks about it every Saturday morning during our weekly "coffee date".  I realize that he has chosen me to be his living sketch book.  My ears and heart take in his ideas as he expounds on things he wants to tweak, wants to create, wants to bring into being from his spirit into the world.   If you were to watch him, you might think his work is completely intuitive but I am aware that he may talk out his ideas for months before he actually touches a piece, so the pace of the work seems very rapid, and sometimes is but the pre-planning is frequently a long process.