Sculpture Ritual and Promise

hello world, this mornings wander around the park was very exciting as usual lots of things that need attending to and lots of things to wonder about.

The magnolia is beginning to open her flower, this long awaited flower means a lot to me, its a promise that one day she may be the 20 meter stunning tress that she should be.
We all make promises, everyday there is no avoiding commitment and the stuff that makes the everyday possible. we promise we will get up earlier, do more exercise, loose weight and  drink less, (or maybe that's just me?).
Promise and hope are start of the ritual that forms a life, new years eve will have everybody making new years resolutions most will never live up too...and its all ok, its just what we do!
Many years ago i studied anthropology and during that study was alarmed to recognize the  lack of ritual in contemporary society. Most people might have the odd birthday party, 18th 21st, a wedding but unless you are religious you will spend a life without celebrating major rituals and initiations as once was the practice in older societies. For one i would like to be more in touch with birth and death, to feel them as a normal part of life rather than have them wrapped up in medical procedure. When a pet dies taking the kids out for a funeral has always been part of our life, its a simple ritual that show kids such things happen. During this study Jon sculpture ritual stones, big (and small) sculptures with handles to give us (the ritual-less) something to hand on to .....

Up in the top corner of the park is the foundation of a residence, its just the base at the moment and the building will follow as budget and time and weather allow. There is no set date, not giant plan. I can already picture the finished room, neat clean simple. The garden will have lots of fruit, raspberry canes are going in this winter and i have started propagating plants for a formal space. It will be a place to sit and read and plan your sculpture of paint and read while you stay and visit and spend a week or a few days sculpting, this residency in its present form are our promise, a dream and a commitment to the ritual the sculpture park has become in our lives.