Watercolor, gouache, and paper on wood
18 x 9 x 9 inches
2006

I created the piece entitled “Overcomer” in 2006 after reading texts by Watchman Nee. An overcomer is someone who conforms to God’s plans and is victorious through dependence upon Him.

I find a quiet beauty in the desolation of clear-cut forests. An isolated tree flourishing in the midst of destruction resonates hope. I build three-dimensional wooden structures that are wall dependent. The structures help drive the content. This one revealed the concept of building something new out of change. All images are watercolor and gouache on paper, collaged onto the wooden shapes.

Working from reference photos, I cut and re-arranged the watercolors from one block to another, slicing trunks and roots off, showing branches with no source. Some trees differ in stages of development. The central and largest block details a fully formed tree, a new creation that bears fruit of life.